Iran Calls for Peace Amid International Tensions

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the United Nations General Assembly, signaling readiness to end the nuclear standoff with the West and calling for peace in Ukraine and Gaza. Relations with the West have further deteriorated following recent conflicts involving Iran-backed militant groups. Pezeshkian emphasized Iran’s opposition to war.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced Iran's readiness to end its nuclear standoff with the West during his address at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. He also urged for a diplomatic resolution to Russia's war in Ukraine. Amid rising international tensions, Iran's clerical leaders hope to see U.S. sanctions eased, which have severely impacted the country's economy.

U.S.-Iran relations have been strained since 2018 when then-President Donald Trump withdrew from Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact with six major powers, reinstating stringent sanctions. The situation has deteriorated further following an attack on southern Israel by the Iranian-supported Hamas militant group on October 7, and Tehran's growing alignment with Russia in the Ukraine conflict.

Pezeshkian, who has pursued a moderate foreign policy since taking office in August, condemned Israel for what he described as genocidal actions in Gaza. He demanded the international community ensure an immediate ceasefire to prevent further regional and global escalation. An Israeli airstrike in Beirut on the same day resulted in the death of a senior Hezbollah commander, raising fears of an expanding war.

Expressing Iran's peace-seeking stance, Pezeshkian stressed that Iran does not wish conflict with any nation and called for an immediate end to the military conflict in Ukraine. Iran's deepening relationship with Russia includes facilitating secret negotiations between Russia and Yemen's Houthi rebels to transfer anti-ship missiles, a development revealed by Western and regional sources.

(With inputs from agencies.)