Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday that Tehran will defend its access to the Strait of Hormuz while pursuing peaceful nuclear technology, without accepting restrictions on either.
Pezeshkian made the remarks during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, saying Iran views neighboring countries as partners, not security rivals. "Crisis in one land will spill into the surrounding nations. That's why Iran does not see her neighbors as security rivals," he said.
He opposed restrictions on Iran's access to regional waterways and criticized military activity around the Strait of Hormuz. "We will not succumb to that. The expansion of warfare will not result in security. One cannot create chaos for the coastal countries seeking naval security," Pezeshkian said.
Pezeshkian said Iran needs energy to support progress and rejected efforts to restrict its nuclear program through sanctions and other measures.
The president said Tehran rejects nuclear weapons but will defend its pursuit of civilian nuclear technology. "No nuclear weapons and no limitations to peaceful nuclear technology," Pezeshkian said.