Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says the Islamic Republic is seeking to expand its ties with the world’s countries based on mutual respect, but stressed that the country doesn’t tolerate bullying. 

“As I have frequently stated from different platforms, we have no fight with any country, and our basis is peace and friendship and expansion of ties based on good understanding and mutual respect, but we will definitely never brook bullying,” Pezeshkian said.

He made the remarks at a meeting with members of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian parliament on Thursday that addressed the policy of the country’s 14th administration.

During the meeting, the president stressed the importance of the role played by the parliament in updating communications and interactions with the neighboring countries.

“The government has seriously signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and agreements with neighboring countries, including in gas and energy, transportation and transit and the activation of border markets with the aim of turning Iran into a regional trade hub,” he said.

“And in this regard, the role played by the countries’ parliaments to pave the way for and facilitate the implementation of these agreements is very effective.”

Pezeshkian also stressed that national unity is the basis for the success of the country’s foreign policy.

“We believe that the country’s salvation hinges on unity and reaching a common vision and language to solve the issues.”

He noted that some Western countries, which claim to be advocates of human rights and defenders of democracy, are supporting the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza

“These countries must say, apart from any religion and belief, how… they support the killing of tens of thousands of women and children and the bombing of schools and hospitals, while at the same time, they accuse other countries of not respecting human rights,” he said. 

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime’s decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

The regime’s genocidal war on Gaza has so far killed more than 41,272 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured tens of thousands of others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.