Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says pressure from the United States has reached a critical and dangerous level, as tensions between Washington, Israel and Tehran continue.
Speaking in India ahead of the BRICS summit on Friday, Pezeshkian said Iran had faced heavy sanctions for years, but the pressure had intensified in recent months.
“Iran has been subjected to heavy sanctions in recent years; this pressure has reached a critical and dangerous stage in recent months following the military aggression by the United States and Israel,” he said.
“The world today is going through a period of unprecedented complexity,” he added.
Last month, the US introduced Operation Economic Outcast, imposing what it described as “unprecedented” restrictions aimed at cutting off the remaining economic lifelines supporting the Iranian government.
Pezeshkian also said he did not support continuing the war with the US, stressing the need for Iran to strengthen its ability to withstand future challenges.
He made the remarks during a meeting with heads of Iranian universities, according to Mehr News Agency.
“I am not in favour of continuing the war, but we must strengthen the country’s resilience in the face of upcoming developments.”
He said Iran must build its resilience in a way that prevents the country from being forced to negotiate with the “enemy” from a position of weakness.
The president also urged universities to work with his government in dealing with the country’s challenges.
Pezeshkian warned that economic policies must consider existing social conditions, saying poorly planned measures could make problems worse instead of solving them.
“We must benefit even from the contributions of Generation Z students to solve society’s problems and ensure their participation in presenting solutions instead of engaging in protests,” he said.
He added that, as president, he did not belong to any particular political group and was willing to work with all political currents and anyone who could help resolve Iran’s crises.
The United States and Israel launched military action against Iran on February 28. Iran responded by firing missiles at Israel and attacking US targets and bases in several countries across the region.
US pressure on Iran has reached critical, dangerous level – Pezeshkian