Iran proposes establishment of regional security structure and reaffirms conditions for ending the war

Tehran (ANTARA) - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday (21/3) proposed the formation of a security structure comprising regional countries to guarantee peace, security, and stability in West Asia without foreign intervention, while reaffirming the conditions for ending the ongoing war.

The Iranian president made the statement during a telephone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which both sides discussed bilateral relations as well as recent regional and international developments following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, according to Iran’s official news agency, IRNA.

Pezeshkian stated that the conditions put forward by Iran for ending the war are the immediate cessation of US and Israeli aggression and the provision of guarantees that similar attacks will not recur in the future, according to the report.

He strongly condemned the US and Israel for the assassination of Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, several high-ranking military commanders, and civilians, as well as attacks on public infrastructure in the country.

Pezeshkian refuted claims by US President Donald Trump, who said the war aimed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, emphasising that the former Iranian leader strongly opposed the creation of atomic weapons and had issued the necessary decrees to prevent any efforts towards that end.

Meanwhile, Modi voiced deep concerns regarding the escalation of regional tensions, strongly condemned all forms of attacks on regional energy infrastructure, and urged that security in the Strait of Hormuz and freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf be ensured.

On 28 February, Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Tehran and several other cities in Iran, which killed Ali Khamenei, along with several senior military commanders and civilians. Iran subsequently responded by launching waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel as well as US bases and assets in the Middle East.