President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran asserted on Wednesday that the country is “not looking for war” but vowed a stronger response if Israel retaliates for Iran’s missile attacks. Speaking at a joint press conference with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, in Doha, Pezeshkian stated, “If it (Israel) wants to react, we will have a stronger response; this is what the Islamic Republic is committed to.”
Pezeshkian’s remarks came a day after Iran launched about 200 missiles, including hypersonic weapons, toward Israel, causing panic among civilians. While most of the missiles were intercepted by Israeli defenses, reports indicated that two individuals were lightly wounded by shrapnel, and one missile damaged a school building.
The Israeli military reported that several Iranian missiles fell within air force bases without causing any damage. Pezeshkian condemned what he termed the “dirty goal” of the Israeli regime, accusing it of creating insecurity and crises in the region. He called on the U.S. and European countries to urge Israel to cease its actions that lead to bloodshed.
In a related statement, Sheikh Tamim warned that Israel’s actions are pushing the region to the “brink of the abyss,” condemning its ongoing attacks on Gaza and affirming Qatar’s commitment to mediating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group responsible for the October 7 attacks that triggered the current conflict.