Iran not after war but will not submit to bullying: President

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that the country does not seek war, but will not submit to bullying.

Pezeshkian made the remarks in a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in the Iranian capital Tehran, according to a statement on the website of his office.

"Iran has not, does not, and will not seek war, but it will not submit to bullying either," he said. "The other parties must recognize the Iranian nation's rights in all areas and within the framework of international law."

Pezeshkian emphasized that Iran is not seeking to expand the conflict, noting that the war was imposed by the United States and Israel, and its continuation is detrimental to Iran, the West Asia region, and the world.

He said it is logical to resume implementation of a peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Iran and the United States in June and to resolve issues through dialogue.

Pezeshkian also slammed attempts by Israel and certain U.S. groups to prevent the formation of any agreement, calling on U.S. officials to ignore voices seeking to prevent the restoration of peace to the region.

"The interests of some are in continuing the war, but the Islamic Republic of Iran believes that peace and security will benefit Iran, the region, and the world," he noted.

Pezeshkian also pointed to the recent "bitter" incidents between Iran and Qatar, saying the two remain "friendly and brotherly countries" and that the issues can be resolved through understanding.

The Qatari prime minister, for his part, said "deep and sincere" respect remains between the two countries, adding that "Qatar seeks to restore stability to the region and sees well Iran's open arms toward the regional countries as well as its efforts to ensure security and peace."

He added that the war "was imposed on the region from outside," but its costs are paid by all countries in the region.

"The language of force and threat is not the solution, and stability, security, and economic tranquility must be restored to the region through diplomacy, rationality and logic," the Qatari prime minister said, adding that "the coming days will be busy and stressful, and a Qatari team will begin its activities as of tomorrow."

Also on Thursday, the Qatari official met Iran's Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, to discuss establishing a temporary shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and implementing a joint project to demine the waterway, according to Qatar's Foreign Ministry.

He also met with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who stressed that the U.S. economic siege against Iran will fail and Washington must implement the MoU provisions, according to the official news agency IRNA.

Qatar's prime minister welcomed a recent understanding between Iran and Oman on safe maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, noting that ongoing diplomatic developments can help restore stability to the region.

His visit to Tehran came amid ongoing Iran-Oman talks over the strait. Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said on Wednesday that Tehran and Muscat had reached agreements on their respective shares of the strait's waters and revenues, according to Iranian media reports.

On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

On June 18, the United States and Iran signed an MoU to end the war in the region. Under the MoU, they were scheduled to hold negotiations within 60 days, which ended on Aug. 17, to reach a final agreement, but the talks' fate remains unclear following the escalation between the two countries last month.