Kazem Jalali made the remarks in Moscow at the “Conference of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on Security Issues in Central Asia and Afghanistan.”
Jalali said the US holds a wrong understanding of the Iranian people. “More than 33 million Iranians have formally registered to defend their homeland and are prepared to confront any new act of aggression.”
The current situation in West Asia, the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and Bab al-Mandeb is a direct consequence of aggressive US and Israeli attacks and the naval blockade imposed on Iran, the ambassador said.
The Iranian diplomat further stressed that the only path to peace in the region lies through negotiation.
Jalali also praised Russia and China’s positions on Iran at the UN Security Council, describing them as a reflection of their deep relations with Iran and opposition to US unilateralism.
The diplomat reiterated that Iran’s principled approach to ensuring regional security is based on cooperation among regional countries, without the presence and interference of foreign actors. “Developments in recent years in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and then the war in Ukraine are clear evidence that the Western presence threatens regional security.”
