President Pezeshkian Hails Iran’s Armed Forces for Thwarting Israeli Aggression, Urges Regional Unity at ECO Summit
Tehran, The Gulf Observer: President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, has stated that Iran’s Armed Forces delivered a powerful and decisive response to the Israeli regime during the recent 12-day war of aggression, effectively preventing the conflict from spreading across the region.
Speaking at the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit held in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, President Pezeshkian emphasized that the Islamic Republic acted strictly in self-defense, invoking Article 51 of the United Nations Charter in carrying out precision defensive operations against Israeli military targets.
“The Israeli regime initiated this war by blatantly violating international laws, including Article 2(4) of the UN Charter,” President Pezeshkian said. “This act of aggression was further supported by the United States and involved a series of criminal assaults on Iranian off-duty military personnel, academics, civilians, nuclear facilities under IAEA inspection, and civilian infrastructure.”
The President expressed appreciation to ECO member states for their “responsible and principled positions” during the conflict and called the summit an opportunity to raise awareness of the broader regional and international consequences of Israel’s unlawful aggression.
President Pezeshkian was formally received by President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan upon his arrival in Khankendi on Friday.
The conflict began in the early hours of June 13 when the Israeli regime launched unprovoked airstrikes targeting residential areas, Iranian nuclear facilities, and assassinating several senior Iranian military officials and scientists. In response, the Iranian Armed Forces launched a series of retaliatory strikes on critical military installations inside Israeli-occupied territories, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa, utilizing advanced missile and drone capabilities.
Escalation further intensified when, on June 22, the United States violated Iranian airspace and struck three nuclear sites. Iran responded the next day by targeting the U.S. Central Command base in Qatar with ballistic missiles. Hostilities ceased on June 24 following a unilateral ceasefire announced by Israel.
The Israeli attacks claimed the lives of at least 935 Iranians, including 140 women and children, and left more than 5,640 injured. President Pezeshkian reiterated Iran’s commitment to peace and sovereignty and stressed the importance of regional solidarity in the face of unlawful foreign aggression.
