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In a world exclusive interview with India Today Group Editor (Foreign Affairs) Geeta Mohan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, addressed the country's bilateral ties with India, regional security, and the country's strategic role within BRICS.
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00:21What's the status of the Strait of Hormuz?
00:23Are you seeking nuclear weapons?
00:26Are you weaker or stronger?
00:27Militarily, economically, strategically.
00:30A lot of conversation, a lot of reporting, misreporting, disinformation has taken place
00:37and that has to do with your new supreme leader.
00:40How is he, sir?
00:50India is hosting leaders of the BRICS at an extraordinary moment for the world.
00:55Wars and sanctions, economic stress, and an increasingly contested international order.
01:05Among leaders in New Delhi is the President of Iran, who comes at perhaps the most consequential
01:12moment his country has faced in decades.
01:17Iran comes to BRICS while confronting the United States of America and Israel,
01:22looking at economic stress back home, and arguing that institutions such as the BRICS can help build a multipolar world.
01:33Now can it?
01:35Let's find out.
01:36I'm being joined in an exclusive conversation with the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
01:43Dr. Masood Pazashkian.
01:46Honourable President, thank you so much for joining us.
01:48Raise the President, thank you so much.
01:51In the name of God, also we are happy to be here among the dear people of India and all
02:01the viewers
02:02and listeners. I would like to say greetings to them. Thank you so much. Let's begin with
02:08your bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. One is the iconic photo where
02:15the leader was holding your hand and walking you through the gallery. And secondly, a 45-minute
02:21long conversation. Tell us what really happened. What was the focal point of the discussion?
02:34I would like to say that our relation with the Honourable Prime Minister of India since
02:41the time that I took office is increasingly getting better on a daily basis. And in fact,
02:49because of that deep cultural relations that we had with each other, the two countries of
02:56Iran and India enjoy a long history in actually within several millennia. And this is not something
03:07which would change during time. And naturally, we are trying to improving these relations on
03:14a daily basis and base it on the deeply rooted culture. And we would be able to build a new
03:25structure upon that and help each other in order to counter the totalitarianism which is developing
03:35in the world and help out each other. Okay, that's a very important point that you make.
03:39But we are talking about a country that now is at war. And India has strategic interests
03:46in Iran. Chabahar port is an important one. How viable do you think Chabahar is for India
03:54and continues to be for India amid war, conflicts and attacks that we've seen in Chabahar?
04:03You see, we did not start the war. They started the war. And based on no internationally recognized
04:15principle or humanitarian one, if you want to look at this issue, they attacked our country
04:23country without any established framework. They martyred our leader. They martyred our
04:28military commanders. They martyred innocent students at school during one day. They martyred
04:36all of them. They martyred our scientists and they bombarded our infrastructure. And unfortunately,
04:44what they did cannot be recognized according to any internationally recognized principles. Therefore,
04:54the trend they are following, actually, we defended ourselves. And regarding Chabahar and its relation
05:03and the relation that we can have with India, I would like to say that Iran is located in a
05:11geopolitically
05:12spot that in terms of public transportation and regional connectivity, it's a crossroads. It can connect
05:24south to north, west to east, and each country together. And this is the easiest and most economical
05:33route for the regional countries in establishing economic ties, cultural, political, scientific and
05:41social relations. And it used to be, since the past, Iran was a spot in the Silk Road and the
05:54connected
05:54activity among civilizations were developed through these routes. Now we can revive it. We are ready
06:01to revive this route again. We should actually help each other in this regard. And naturally, it will
06:10help us to exchange experiences and cultural cultures.
06:17Right. President Sir, did this Chabahar and investments of Indian Chabahar come up during
06:23discussions with the Prime Minister?
06:28During the discussion that we had with each other, overall, we talked about various orientations and
06:37approaches. India can invest there. Currently, it has some investments and it is underway. It can come and have a
06:51partnership or maybe in terms of trade, we can have a kind of partnership or cooperation with each other. So
07:01we can, I mean, regarding various issues, we can have a network of interactions.
07:06So we are ready. And in all those choices, we are ready to cooperate.
07:11Right. President Sir, you also addressed the Business Economic Forum. How viable is Iran for investors to look at Iran?
07:23Because at a time when you're looking at sanctions, they're not international sanctions, they're U.S. sanctions, they're country-based
07:29sanctions. No country should be honoring them. But nonetheless, amid those sanctions, how can Indian businesses work in Iran or
07:38with Iran?
07:40You see, the objective of BRICS and what we have come here for is that regarding the trend which has
07:53begun by the U.S. and actually it sanctions any country's wishes. On the other hand, the BRICS intention is
08:02to break this kind of totalitarianism.
08:06That is why BRICS. That is why BRICS was developed. And we're supposed to change the type of interactions and
08:13the type of trade and cooperation regardless of and independent from the fact that one country may be, you know,
08:23at whim to sanction other countries.
08:26So we are here to help each other and to support each other so that this unilateralism can be fought
08:37against.
08:38And this is the objective of this summit meeting with great countries of the world like China, India and Russia.
08:48So we are here and we try to derail America from this unilateralism.
08:55This is the mission and responsibility of this summit that we have to fulfill.
08:59But the success of the BRICS will also come if there's a joint communique. And it does seem like problems
09:06between the UAE and Iran have become a great impediment in getting a joint communique.
09:16We have no problems with any of the U.A. We have no problem with any of the regional countries.
09:24We have no problem with any of the American bases located in these countries and from which they are attacking
09:31us, our country.
09:33The UAE, the Emiratis and other countries of the region are our brothers.
09:40We have been living together for a long time and we have had trade. We have supported each other.
09:46So this is the U.S. who has come here and established bases. And from those bases, they martyr our
09:54children.
09:55They attack our infrastructure and target our leaders, commanders and people.
10:01In fact, the problem is that the friendly and neighboring countries should not allow enemies to utilize their soil to
10:11attack our country.
10:12Right now, we have a good relation with the UAE. And we can expand it. And with other countries, the
10:20same happens.
10:21So we would like to have a sincere relation with all of them. However, it is the U.S. which
10:27does not want this to happen.
10:28And the reason is that they want to utilize our petroleum reservoirs of the region and instead they are selling
10:42weapons and missiles to the regional countries
10:44in order to scare us from each other and pit us against each other, it is actually exploiting the capital
10:56of the region and also it is destroying the peace and stability.
11:01We, with the neighboring and regional countries, can share our powers in order to help each other and establish security
11:11and help our people in order to promote our culture and economy again.
11:17Right. I'll talk about the UAE and Saudi Arabia and countries in the Arab world.
11:23But before that, can we be hopeful that there will be an outcome document, that there will be a joint
11:28communique at this time?
11:34Do you mean in BRICS?
11:36As for BRICS, we are trying so that this would happen.
11:43And this trend is currently getting better and improving on a daily basis.
11:51In all these issues, we can cooperate with each other.
11:56And the new development bank of BRICS, which has been established, aims at the fact that the member countries will
12:04have joint investment and support each other.
12:13Well, naturally, it relies on some considerations of the countries regarding the U.S., according to the current trend, the
12:25U.S. has made all the countries dependent on itself.
12:31There is a steady struggle so that this dependency on the U.S. economy or U.S. dollar should be
12:40weakened and reduced.
12:42Well, it takes time to reach the ideal.
12:44Well, however, all the efforts of these countries is directed toward the fact that we would be able to eradicate
12:53unilateralism and we'll have a not a unipolar world in which we would be able to have interaction with each
13:02other and we would be independently proceeding.
13:06Okay, then your honest assessment on where Iran stands six months into the confrontation, are you weaker or stronger, militarily,
13:16economically, strategically?
13:22You know, it is, it applies to all countries, especially the developing countries.
13:30They have their own problems.
13:34And we had some problems.
13:36We still have them.
13:38But what the U.S. did, it made us more united.
13:43Even the people of the region, now they are more hateful toward America because we were oppressed.
13:57They attacked our country unprovoked just because they have power.
14:03They envisioned that just like Venezuela, they would be able to, you know, conquer our country within 24 hours and
14:14they would be able to establish their own puppet government in Iran.
14:19They thought it would be like what they did in Syria.
14:23They thought that within a few days after martyring our leader and military commanders, managers, directors, ministers, then the society
14:34would remain quiet and they would be able to reach their own objectives.
14:37Not only this did not happen, but only the people came to the streets with full power and now it
14:46is more than several months that the people take to the streets and our military forces are sacrificing themselves to
14:54stand against the enemies with all the technologies.
14:57They have resisted against the enemies and despite all the efforts of the enemies in order to topple down the
15:05government, the government with the help of the people and with the support of the military and armed forces has
15:12been able to resolve its own problems and they did not imagine it.
15:16And based on what they did, we are getting united on a daily basis, even those people who were somehow
15:26discontented in our country, yes, we did have some internal disputes, but even they insisted on the territorial integrity of
15:36our country and they, I mean, regarding the attack and aggression of the enemies,
15:44they actually, they did not allow that and even those Iranians living out abroad returned back to our country.
15:56So you make a very important point, sir, because, you know, the West thought they'd be able to break Iran.
16:01Is Iran more united today?
16:07Yes, that's true. Despite all the problems that we have currently, you know,
16:14what America did, it actually tried to militarily topple down the government. It failed.
16:23Then it attacked the infrastructure. Again, it failed.
16:26Now it is blocking the route for the importation of goods, even food and medicine, and they have blocked the
16:37naval routes.
16:38It wants to even block the ground routes. So they are, America is a claimant of human rights. Now they
16:47are treating our people, our patients.
16:49They want to starve our people to death or bring about some other problems for them. They want us to
16:57yield and surrender.
16:58This is not humane. This is the most savage thing they can do. They are blocking the routes of medicines
17:06and goods.
17:07We are doing business and trade, but they block our, you know, money. What is the logic behind that?
17:15The one side which is actually involved in a war, and now they claim to defend human rights. What kind
17:25of human rights?
17:25They are attacking those people who have nothing to do with the war. Now they are, you know, putting sanctions
17:33on the same people. Are they human even?
17:37I mean, why are they fighting against us? What have we done? This is a catastrophe. They are telling the
17:45world that Iran is seeking nuclear weapon and weapons of mass destruction.
17:51Are we seeking nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction? Or they who are actually killing people in Lebanon and
18:00Gaza on a daily basis?
18:01But unfortunately, the world is looking at their beautiful appearance and think that they are telling the truth.
18:09Are you seeking nuclear weapons? Are you seeking nuclear weapons? Is nuclear enrichment a non-negotiable for Iran? What's the
18:19status on that front? Because that's exactly what President Trump keeps reiterating.
18:25You do know that the U.S. is doing some propaganda. It is just propaganda. We are a member of
18:33NPT, and its regulations is clear. They exercise the greatest amount of monitoring regarding nuclear activities in Iran.
18:44On a daily basis. On a daily basis, they came and monitored. But we did everything and worked within the
18:52framework of international principles. If we were seeking nuclear weapons, we wouldn't have become a member of NPT.
18:59Now, they are bringing about alibis and pretexts to attack our soil. Our martyred leader, who in terms of leadership
19:10and status has a high status, and even in terms of our religious belief, what he says is a final
19:17say, had announced several times that we are not seeking nuclear weapons.
19:22How can we say that we are not seeking nuclear weapons? What kind of substantiated document have they found that
19:33they allow themselves to attack us? It is lies. It is lies.
19:39Then what is the objective here? Is it to stand for the cause of Israel? What is the objective in
19:46saying that Iran possesses nuclear weapons or is on the way to nuclear weapons? Because we've heard it for decades
19:52from Israel.
19:56You think that Israel is seeking not to be nuclear? Israel is not a member of NPT. And they have
20:09nuclear weapons on a great order.
20:14So, is there any international institution protesting why they have this kind of nuclear weapons? So, you have witnessed what
20:27they are doing in Gaza and Lebanon.
20:30They have killed more than 70,000 innocent people, and they are bombarding these territories on a daily basis.
20:37What kind of human conscience would accept that people should be treated like this? They have blockaded the roots of
20:48water and food and everything. The whole world is seeing that and understand that.
20:53But why nobody is saying anything to Israel? This is a kind of savage world in which some are allowed
21:02to kill people, children and women and bombard hospitals and schools, but still they defend them. It's a catastrophe.
21:12Regarding the oppressive behavior. Regarding the oppressive behavior of Israel and the US, we are opposing them. And we say
21:20they should not oppress other people and kill innocent people. Since we say that we oppose them, we have to
21:28be killed. So, this is oppression.
21:30And the whole world is just watching this. And sometimes this shows sympathy.
21:39President sir, I have been tracking Iran-US conflict for a long time. Please give us an assessment on what's
21:46the status of war. Are we at war? Is there a halt? Why are the ceasefires and the negotiations both
21:52failing?
21:52Why are the ceasefires and the ceasefires and the ceasefires and the ceasefires and the ceasefires and the ceasefires?
22:07Yes, we had some dialogues, we had negotiations. And for several rounds, we have entered negotiations. When they embarked on
22:18the first terms of the war, we were on the negotiating table.
22:24After that, again, we came to the negotiation table. We were about to reach a final agreement and then they
22:33again attacked us. Again, we had some dialogue.
22:36After all of these savage attacks, we came to a kind of understanding. We signed a memorandum on understanding, but
22:44then very simply just tore it up.
22:46How can we start negotiation again and make sure that they would be abiding by their commitments? They write down
22:57something, but then very simply, as easy as pie, they just tear it up.
23:03So what kind of world it is in which we cannot negotiate and have a dialogue and stand on it?
23:10So this is our problem. Right now, from outside, there is no problem. We are not seeking war.
23:17Iran has not been an aggressor side. During the past 100 years, have you seen Iran attacking another country?
23:27That's an important point. But then again, President Trump continues to say that he's talking to the real leaders of
23:37Iran. And it's not part of this government and the new leaders.
23:44Who are these new leaders that President Trump is talking to and the real leaders?
23:48I think you have to ask himself. Because he is saying something every day. One day he wants to destroy
23:59Iran.
23:59Another day he says we are a friend of Iran. One day he says he accepts us. Another day he
24:04says he doesn't accept us.
24:06So we are not sure what kind of statement we should accept and proceed based on which.
24:13Okay. But negotiations went on with Pakistan mediating and there was a memorandum of understanding. But the deadline ended on
24:22the August of 17th, if I'm not wrong.
24:26So has the Pakistan negotiation failed? And was Oman a better negotiator?
24:38Pakistan is a friendly and neighboring country. And in this regard, it has made a lot of efforts so that
24:48we would be able to establish peace and tranquility.
24:51Also, Qatar was helping the same MOU in Islamabad. I don't know. What was the problem with what we wrote
25:07down in Islamabad?
25:08Because they want us to renegotiate. What kind of illogical issue we mentioned? What did we say which was outside
25:19of the internationally recognized principles that now we have to sit down and say something else?
25:27The main issue is what we talked about. And that was the fact that America should, you know, terminate all
25:34its terminations. It should not talk us in a bullying way.
25:39It should open up the ways and rules so that we would be able to live like other people in
25:45the world. We are ready to act within the framework of international recognized principles to have interactions with others.
25:54These things. They say we have to change these issues and talk about something else. No, we said what we
26:03said. They have to terminate the sanctions. We did not wage the war and they were supposed to stop the
26:10aggressions.
26:11They were supposed not to attack us and then we would not attack them back. Some part has attacked us.
26:19We have defended ourselves.
26:20What else should we talk about in these negotiations regarding the nuclear issues? We were supposed to sit and again
26:31within the NPT and international principles negotiate. We are ready to do that.
26:37Are you ready if President Trump seeks for direct talks with Iran without preconditions? Are you ready?
26:46Right now we cannot make a decision. You know, think about that. They have martyred our leader on what basis?
26:53Now our now a side which has martyred our leader wants to directly talk to us.
27:01It is very difficult for our society. You know, imagine a society whose leader has been assassinated and martyred and
27:11then you expect other members of the society to come directly talk with us.
27:17So our people are very much concerned. And this catastrophe which they have brought upon us will not be eradicated
27:27from the memory of people. It is very difficult. Our leader was not only a leader. He was somehow lodged
27:34within the hearts of the people.
27:36So it is very difficult for our people. So it is very difficult for our people to just forget the
27:43side that they have done.
27:44So is that a no? Is that a no?
27:48It is not easy. We have written down something and we have signed. The atmosphere of trust should be established
27:59again.
27:59We have to make sure whether they are telling the truth and they would stand and proceed within the same
28:07framework. From the first day, they have to try to topple down our government.
28:12Right. President Sir, what's Iran's reaction to the Makkah Pact? Because we're looking at and I'll come back to the
28:19Arab world, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey together.
28:22And you at present are at war with Saudi Arabia. There are attacks that are happening by the Houthis.
28:32We are not in war with Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have their own problems. I have said many times
28:39before that all the regional countries should and must sit together and establish peace and security in the region.
28:50There is no reason for this region to be in conflict. How come that in Europe, those countries sit together
28:58and talk despite wars which took several hundred years, they wrote down a law for themselves, their interactions and they
29:08open up roots for each other.
29:10They have trade with each other. They support each other. So what is the reason that we won't be able
29:19to have the same for our region? Each country with their own interests and ideas and thoughts can exist.
29:27But within the same framework of security, we can negotiate and talk with each other. The war and conflict is
29:39not the way. A human should not kill another human. Actually, a human should not deny another human from life.
29:48That is savage life.
29:53Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan and all the original countries can actually maintain our own identity. At the
30:02same time, we can have a kind of dynamic economy. So all the people living in this economy can have
30:10a better life.
30:11There is no reason for one human being to fight another one. This is our belief. And we are pursuing
30:19to have a kind of human unity in the region.
30:22I'm glad you're saying this about Europe and the West, because I asked I said to you earlier that I'll
30:28ask you about the UAE and Saudi Arabia. And I come to you now on that.
30:34We're looking at expansion and retaliation against U.S. with attacks on Middle East countries and the Gulf countries. Isn't
30:45this exactly what the West wants to keep you divided?
30:54Do you have any doubts in this regard? Actually, they say divide and rule. Inside our country, those, you know,
31:11incidents that took happen in January,
31:17the same American government said that they wanted to topple down our government. Right now, there are various ethnicities in
31:27Iran. They want to pit them against each other. And so the discord and bring about problems in order to
31:35topple down the government.
31:38The same happens in the neighboring countries. If you look at the writings and they have already published them. Their
31:50intention is to pit Arab countries against Iran so that we would be in quarrel and fight against each other.
32:00And then they will exploit our oil.
32:03And then regarding that they will sell weapons to the Arab countries. And we are just keeping fighting. So what
32:13is the rationale behind that? That in a country, one country should be scared of another country. Should humans be
32:23scared of each other?
32:24Sure. Therefore, it is. It is. It is. It is. I mean, what the Americans are doing is sowing the
32:32seeds of discord.
32:33And from the day that I took office, my utmost effort was to preserve unity and consistency inside the country
32:44and to, you know, convert these difference of opinion and taste into unity, not discord.
32:55And we stretch the hand of humanity and kindness. And that is what we are doing. But they do not
33:03want us to proceed.
33:04Why doesn't Iran present, sir, reach out to the Arab world? This is the Muslim world. Break the divide between
33:10Shia and Sunni that the West has created for so long.
33:22We have done the same before. Even in the holy month of Ramadan and in other, you know, incidents, we
33:33have telephone conversations with the leaders of the Muslim countries.
33:37But the problem is that the U.S. has established military bases on the soils of these neighboring countries. And
33:48from these bases, they are attacking because so when they attacked us without any reason, actually, we did not attack
34:00them.
34:00We just defended ourselves. So if we want to defend ourselves, which place should we target? The same place from
34:07which their airplanes, you know, scrambled against our country.
34:11So naturally, this has brought about some, you know, problem with the regional countries. Yes, they allowed the enemy to
34:25locate on their own soil and from those bases to attack our people. But you expect us not to do
34:34anything?
34:34Okay. But the result of that is a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The world is suffering. India certainly
34:42is feeling the heat of the blockade. What's the status of the Strait of Hormuz? President Trump says that he's
34:50renaming it as the Strait of Trump. So what's the status of Hormuz? And has the war expanded to Bab
34:57al-Mandib with the help of Houthis, Hezbollah, Hamas? What's the status, sir?
35:03You see, neither Hezbollah nor us nor Hezbollah. I don't think we initiated that. All of these groups are defending
35:18themselves. Which of them actually attacked initially?
35:21The enemies are attacking and these are defending themselves. On what reason is the Americans attacking our region and they're
35:33blocking our routes and we should do nothing? So from the same route, they are bringing weapons and hatching plots
35:42and they don't allow peace and tranquility to establish in the region.
35:46So what do you think we should have done? Well, naturally, this is a reaction by us against their attacks.
35:57If we are alive, we have to respond. We will not respond when we are dead. So we are alive
36:08and we will respond.
36:09If Americans stop this blockade and sanctions. Sanctions means killing the patients, means making people unemployed, means poverty, discontent and
36:23thousands of the problems.
36:26If it wants to make a war, they should do it with the military personnel. Why are they doing with
36:33the civilians? And now they project that it is Iran doing that. No, it is not us.
36:40We are under sanctions. We are under sanctions. And they are doing the worst things against us so that they
36:47bring about poverty and diseases and problems for our people in order to exacerbate the internal situation.
36:56And now that they are under sanctions. And now that they have not been able to reach their objectives through
37:01war, they are doing it through economic activities. They will fail.
37:07BRICS is one of the places and platforms that can open up this closed route.
37:14And these relations that we have with the neighbors and other countries is one of the ways that through which
37:23we can have a better trade and interactions.
37:29Of course, the maritime routes are easier, but it's not the main route. If they block them, we will not
37:36surrender.
37:37It has been a long time that they are thinking about this idea in their mind that if they put
37:43sanctions on us, if they block it, they can be make a surrender. They will fail.
37:49Are there assurances that you gave to the Indian Premier when it comes to India's security of seafarers who are
37:59in the Strait of Hormuz, the vessels that need to pass through the Strait of Hormuz?
38:04Because India is feeling a massive energy crisis and is facing that.
38:12In this regard, we are dealing and have negotiations with Oman regarding a specific maritime framework.
38:23On Monday, the foreign ministers of the Arab countries who wanted us to quarrel with each other will have a
38:34meeting with Oman in order to have a kind of agreement about the Hormuz Strait and that the IMO will
38:47announce this status.
38:48So within the internationally established principle, the waterway would be opened up on the condition that the U.S. will
38:59terminate its blockade and its coward activities.
39:16All right.
39:17How would you respond to that?
39:19How would you respond to that?
39:19What's the kind of help?
39:22What is the kind of help?
39:23What is the support of Iran?
39:25Iran and China.
39:28Russia and China.
39:33Russia and China are friends.
39:35Russia and China are friends.
39:37They are also our neighbors and we have relations with them.
39:44Right now, we want to deepen our relation with your country as well.
39:50Since thousands of years ago, we have had this kind of relation.
39:55So, do you expect us not to have this relation?
39:57And then, if we have relations, they accuse us of exchanging of intelligence.
40:04You know, technology is at the hands of the U.S., Israelis, and Europeans.
40:10They have their own satellites and their spies, and they do whatever they want.
40:16So, why can't they analyze how come that the Iranian people stood against such a great power?
40:25They cannot even, you know, imagine that.
40:27It is our people who stood against it. It is not the technology.
40:31In fact, they bombarded and targeted any place they wished, but our people stood against that.
40:40And now, we are finding a kind of way out of these problems automatically.
40:49And since they cannot defeat us, they think that we are being supported from outside.
40:54They know what kind of technologies we do have, but what has led to our sustainability and resilience is not
41:04tooled.
41:05It is the unity and consistency among the people inside Iran.
41:09Okay, I cannot end the conversation without one important aspect, of which a lot of conversation, a lot of reporting,
41:18misreporting, disinformation has taken place.
41:22And that has to do with your new Supreme Leader.
41:25How is he, sir?
41:29Because there is so much speculation and intrigue.
41:35You know that, with the same data that they have, they have targeted most of our leaders and commanders, our
41:46scientists, even in their houses, next to their family members.
41:56They, they, no human framework would allow them to do something like this.
42:05Therefore, they are, you know, deepening this kind of speculation.
42:09Well, thank God, our Supreme Leader is alive, and it has a kind of sincere relation, and he is doing
42:16his job within the same framework.
42:19And since they cannot locate his exact place, they are, you know, spreading such speculations regarding our Supreme Leader, to
42:30do the same to him as well.
42:32But the bitter truth is that, with their technologies, actually, they are the real terrorists in the world.
42:41You look, look at Israel and America, no difference.
42:45What they are doing in Syria, in Lebanon, in Gaza, Iraq, Qatar, even in Iran, they assassinate anybody they wish.
42:56And then, they assassinate, but they claim that these people are terrorists.
43:02So, it's in a weird world.
43:05They kill people very easily.
43:08For a single person, they kill a whole family, and they destroy a whole building.
43:14Then, they say they killed a terrorist.
43:16So, this is, I think, a new way of committing crimes in a world in which we live.
43:23It's a catastrophe.
43:25They are real terrorists.
43:26They are state terrorists.
43:29The list of those, I mean, targets are written down by them, and they disseminate.
43:36And then, they say they are terrorists.
43:39These people include leaders and scientists and students of a society.
43:45They are targeting bridges, factories.
43:48Are they terrorists?
43:50And then, when they do that, they claim that they are fighting against terrorists.
43:55So, this is, I think, a new logic for them.
43:58The transition of authority, where do the negotiations stand?
44:02Who takes the final call?
44:03Is it the Ayatollah?
44:04Is it the IRGC?
44:05Or is it you?
44:09Well, naturally, in our country, it is the Supreme Leader who has the final say.
44:14It has been the same from the first day, and now it is the same.
44:17Naturally, he is the person who will have the final say.
44:21On that note, President, sir, thank you so much.
44:24Thank you very much.
44:25Thank you very much.
44:25Thank you very much.
44:25Thank you very much.
44:26You're welcome.
44:28I hope all the listeners and viewers would know that.
44:37A group of people who are totalitarian, and they don't want other countries to have a sound
44:47and healthy relation with each other, and anybody who would not bend against them should
44:56be eradicated.
44:58But we stand here, and we will not allow this to happen.
45:04Thank you so much.
45:06That was Iran's President, Masood Pazashkian, a leader in a rare and candid interview coming
45:12from a country that has weathered loss, damage, and pressure from every direction, yet refuses
45:20to be counted out.
45:21To Washington and the world, the message is clear.
45:25Engage, don't dictate.
45:27As the famous Persian saying goes,
45:30Ta nafas ast, ummid ast.
45:32Till there's breath, there's hope.
45:35And by the conversation we just had with the leader, it seems like Iran isn't done breathing
45:40yet.
45:41Thank you, sir.
45:42Thank you so much.
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