Iran’s president seeks ‘regional’ response to Israel

Iran’s president said “regional countries, Islamic countries” must stand together to confront Israel over its recent strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In a pre-recorded interview that aired Sunday on CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” President Masoud Pezeshkian placed the blame for the ongoing violence in that region squarely on Israel, as opposed to his own country or Hezbollah, the belligerent group it has sponsored for decades.

“Hezbollah by herself cannot stand against a country that is armed to the teeth,” he told Zakaria, “and has access to weapons systems that are far superior to anything else.”

Speaking to Zakaria through an interpreter, Pezeshkian added: “Islamic countries must convene meeting in order to formulate a reaction to what is occurring. Now, if we’re speaking of Hezbollah alone, what can Hezbollah do alone? The regional countries, Islamic countries must sit together.”

A strike by Israel late Friday killed Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah; that action followed a remote attack by Israel in which it exploded pagers being carried by members of Hezbollah, killing dozens and also disrupting the group’s communications. Israel has also launched airstrikes on Lebanon.

In the interview with Zakaria, which was conducted before the death of Nasrallah, Pezeshkian said Iran would find a way to penalize Israel for its conduct if no one else steps up and does so.

“If international organizations cannot make Israel sit down,” he said, “and allow someone who has the means and power to do whatever they want, whenever they want, and no one stops them, then naturally we will give the appropriate response.”

Hezbollah, for decades a thorn in Israel’s side, began launching rockets at Israel after the lethal incursion last Oct. 7 by Hamas from Gaza into Israel. That Oct. 7 incursion led also to an Israeli invasion of Gaza that has so far resulted in the death of tens of thousands of residents of Gaza, as well as widespread destruction.

“Those who strike at us, we will strike at them,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said about Israel’s strike on Hezbollah. “There is nowhere in Iran or the Middle East beyond the reach of the long arm of Israel, and today you know how true that is.”

As for Nasrallah, Netanyahu said: “He wasn’t another terrorist. He was the terrorist.”

Iran does not recognize Israel’s right to exist and has consistently supported those who wish to do Israel harm; Iran is one of four nations along with Cuba, North Korea and Syria that the U.S. State Department labels a state sponsor of terrorism.

Pezeshkian defended the conduct of Hezbollah and of his nation in response to all of Zakaria’s questions.

“The greatest existing terrorist in the world is the country of Israel,” he told Zakaria. “Look at the figures on how many people Israel is terrorizing every day with missiles, drones, and their people.”

When asked about potentially reaching a new nuclear agreement with Western nations, Pezeshkian blamed the United States for abandoning the previous deal (“America, since the beginning, tore up this accord”) and said everything is up to American leadership to prove it wants an agreement.

“If the United States of America is seeking peace in the region, we seek peace,” he said. “We have no eyes on any other people’s territory. Iran has never invaded any other country. Look at the past two centuries in history. We are not seeking to invade any other country. If we produce weapons, if we produce missiles, it is to defend ourselves.”