Iran favors a region free of weapons of mass destruction: Pezeshkian

He made these remarks in a phone call with Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Wednesday.

Pezeshkian reiterated Iran’s readiness to cooperate with regional countries and other influential players to promote security and stability in the region.

“Iran supports the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and even weapons of mass destruction, provided that it includes the Zionist regime,” he said.

“The track record of this regime leaves no room for trust.”

The Iranian president also appreciated efforts made by Sisi and other leaders of Muslim and neighboring countries to promote peace and stability in the region.

The phone call came a day after the Israeli regime was forced to declare a unilateral ceasefire after a war of aggression against the Islamic Republic that lasted 12 days.

The ceasefire came after Iranian armed forces launched missile strikes at a US base in Qatar in response to American aggression against Iranian peaceful nuclear energy sites.

US intervention in the war was designed to provide cover to the embattled Zionist regime.

“In response to the direct involvement of the United States in the Zionist regime’s military aggression against our country, Iran was compelled to take military action against the base on the territory of our neighboring and brotherly country Qatar,” Pezeshkian told Sisi.

He also referred to his Tuesday phone call with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in which he assured Doha that Tehran’s retaliatory airstrikes only targeted the US airbase.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers all countries in the region as its brothers and friends and believes that the development, progress, and stability of the region can be achieved through constructive interaction and friendly cooperation among all countries,” he said.

The Zionist regime, Pezeshkian said, seeks to sow discord among Muslim nations.

In the early hours of June 13, the Zionist regime launched an all-out aggression on Iranian soil by targeting various military and nuclear sites, claiming the lives of dozens of top military commanders and nuclear scientists as well as ordinary civilians.

The Iranian armed forces, in response, pounded the regime and its military and industrial infrastructure, using many new-generation missiles that hit the designated targets.

Sisi welcomed the ceasefire and hoped for its continuation.

“The region was facing widespread unrest,” he told Pezeshkian, appreciating Tehran’s goodwill and contribution to easing tensions.

Referring to efforts made by his country and other countries in the region to achieve the ceasefire, Sisi expressed his support for diplomacy to resolve the issues facing the region.

The Egyptian president also expressed his country’s readiness to mediate indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, which were derailed because of the US-backed Israeli aggression.

“We are very pleased with Tehran’s willingness to continue the path of negotiations and are ready to help pave the way for constructive talks between Iran and the US and bring the viewpoints of the two sides closer together,” he noted.

Referring to ongoing efforts to remove obstacles to establishing relations between Tehran and Cairo, Pezeshkian and Sisi expressed hope that the two countries will officially restore bilateral diplomatic ties as soon as possible.