Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated his country’s position that the root cause of the war in the region is Israeli and US aggression and those really seeking peace should demand they end their attacks on the Iranian people first.
“The Iranian nation, government, and armed forces have never sought tension and conflict, but we have no hesitation in confronting aggressors and in the decisive and legitimate defense of our territorial integrity and national security, backed by popular support and relying on national capabilities,” PressTV reported Pezeshkian saying, during a phone conversation with French President Emanuel Macron on late Sunday, March 15.
Macron claimed he called Pezeshkian to demand the immediate halt of attacks in the region and to assure “freedom of navigation” through the Strait of Hormuz.”
The Iranian president also reiterated his country’s warnings about neighboring countries in the Persian Gulf, such as the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar, asking them to stop providing land and other logistical support to the US to launch attacks against it.
“Placing land and facilities at America’s disposal for brutal attacks against Iran conflicts with international law and the principle of good neighborliness,” Pezeshkian told Macron.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had claimed that US bases in the region are a real threat to peace and stability and neighbors should shut them all by “expelling the foreign aggressors.”
There are eight permanent US military bases in the region, apart from numerous temporary ones. There are over 40,000 American soldiers in the region according to an estimate published by Al-Jazeera.
Read more: US claims of security and peace “nothing but a lie” says Iran’s supreme leader in his first public address
Iran has been bombing US bases and other targets in the Persian Gulf region in retaliation since the joint US-Israeli aggression began on February 28. It has defied a UNSC resolution condemning its attacks on the Persian Gulf region and has warned of more attacks after accusing the countries in the region of their fresh involvement in attacks on its Kharg and Abu Musa Islands over the weekend.
Kharg is the main hub of Iran’s oil exports with over 90% of all exports originating there. It was bombed extensively by the US on Saturday.
US President Donald Trump claimed “all Iranian military targets” on the Island were “obliterated” in Saturday’s attacks and warned on Sunday that US forces may bomb it again “just for fun.”
On Monday, Iran warned of greater economic troubles for the world if Kharg Island is targeted again.
Pezeshkian also rebuffed Macron after he raised issues of regional security and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, calling Europeans complicit in the war against it by long supporting Israeli and American war crimes in the region and failing to openly stand for the rule of law in the world.
No serious international effort to end the war
There seems to be no credible initiatives to achieve a ceasefire in the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran. It has now entered its third week, with rising human casualties and economic costs with each passing day.
Israel and the US launched fresh bombings of Tehran and other major cities in Iran on Monday, while Iranian drones and missiles have continued to hit targets in the UAE and Israel.
As per the latest figures, close to 1,500 Iranians have been killed, around 18,000 have been wounded, and millions are displaced after residential areas were hit by the US-Israeli strikes.
Israel has confirmed 15 of its citizens have been killed and over 3,300 others have been wounded in Iranian retaliatory strikes inside the country so far.
Over a dozen American soldiers and few residents of the Persian Gulf countries have also been killed and hundreds others wounded in the Iranian retaliations so far.
According to one estimate, the US alone has spent over USD 21 billion so far in the war on Iran and is losing at least a billion USD a day. There are no such estimates available for other players directly involved in the war.
Trump calls NATO for help in opening Strait of Hormuz
Meanwhile, Trump asked China and European countries to send naval support to open the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump also issued warnings to NATO on Sunday saying it faces a “very bad” future if it does not help the US in opening the Strait of Hormuz and hinted possible delays in its scheduled visit to China and meeting with President Xi Jinping.
The blocking of the strait, from which around 20% of global energy is traded, has led to a rise in oil prices and the shortage of cooking gas in several Asian countries, including India.
However, Trump’s repeated calls for a global coalition in the Strait of Hormuz have been rejected by most countries, including some of the closest US allies such as Japan and Australia.
Germany claimed on Monday that NATO has not made any decision on getting involved in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has repeatedly claimed that the Strait of Hormuz will not open for any country involved in attacks against it as it is a matter of national and regional security.
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