Pezeshkian says Iran will not surrender to US, Israel 'bullying' amid West Asia tensions
Iran will not surrender to “bullying” or “arrogance” and will stand firm to protect its national interests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday, September 12, delivering a direct message to the US and Israel amid escalating tensions in West Asia.
Addressing a gathering of religious leaders, intellectuals, academics and business figures in New Delhi, Pezeshkian said Tehran remained committed to peaceful coexistence in the Gulf while opposing foreign forces seeking to create divisions within Iranian society.
“We will not surrender to oppression. Iran is standing up to Israel and the US because we will not be bullied, and if they push us, we will push them back,” Pezeshkian said.
He accused the US and Israel of targeting civilian infrastructure and referred to a US strike near a primary school in southern Iran that he said killed 168 children.
“They should take on our soldiers instead of targeting hospitals, infrastructure and livelihoods,” he said, adding that shortages would not force Iranians to surrender.
Pezeshkian's remarks came amid fresh US airstrikes on Iranian targets and growing economic pressure on Tehran through sanctions.
He accused the US and Israel of making “errors like someone riding a wild horse without reining it in” and said such actions would lead to their downfall.
The Iranian president arrived in New Delhi on Friday morning on a three-day visit to attend the BRICS summit. Earlier, he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in West Asia and bilateral relations.
Pezeshkian described his meeting with Modi as “nice talks” that would help advance cooperation in trade, technology and culture. He also said Iran was ready to act as a strategic partner in supplying energy and food to the region.
Speaking at the BRICS Business Forum, Pezeshkian called for greater use of national currencies in trade among BRICS countries and pitched Iran's geographical position, energy resources and transport links as an economic bridge for the bloc.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said India was a “great emerging country” and expressed confidence in its ability to lead the BRICS grouping.
Araghchi said BRICS members broadly supported strengthening national currencies for trade, while the possibility of a common currency for transactions among member countries remained under consideration.
The event was attended by Araghchi, Kashmiri separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Patanjali Ayurved co-founder Acharya Balkrishna and Observer Research Foundation Director General Sujan R Chinoy.
