Iran’s president says US war not in Tehran’s interest after fighting flares

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday continuing the war with the United States was not in his country’s interest, following a fresh military flare-up between the two countries.<br>“We continue to strive for a path of agreement and understanding, and we believe that continuing the war is neither in our interest, nor in the interest of the region,” Pezeshkian said during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kyrgyzstan.<br>“We believe that the solution to the existing problems is dialogue and cooperation, and all capacities must be used to prevent the spread of insecurity and conflict,” he added, according to a statement from the Iranian presidency.<br>His remarks came after US forces attacked Iran’s Larak island, the first exchanges of fire in a month between Iran and the United States around the strategic Strait of Hormuz.<br>Tehran responded with strikes on bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates that it said were used by the US military.<br>The United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, killing the Islamic republic’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei along with senior military officials.<br>Iran retaliated with attacks across the region as the conflict spread.<br>An April ceasefire ended the most intense fighting, but sporadic attacks, mainly around the Strait of Hormuz, have dimmed prospects for a final peace agreement.<br>Washington has also recently intensified economic pressure on Tehran with a campaign it calls the “economic asphyxiation” of Iran.