President Pezeshkian at SCO Summit:

U.S., Zionist Military Failures Expose Futility of Force

Date: 01 September 2025 - 22:31

News ID: ۱۴۳۰۸۷

TIANJIN, China (Dispatches) – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday sharply criticized recent U.S. and Israeli military aggressions, warning they have failed and will continue to meet resistance from the Iranian people, as he addressed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus Summit in Tianjin.
“The failed military aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime has shown that military options are ineffective and will face the heroic resistance of the Iranian people,” Pezeshkian said.
He also warned that reactivating sanctions through the so-called snapback mechanism by the Europeans would escalate tensions.
“Resorting to the so-called snapback mechanism will only complicate the situation further and increase tensions,” he said, adding, “We advise the United States and Europe to abandon confrontation-based solutions and turn to diplomacy to achieve a balanced and fair solution.”
Turning to Iran’s experience under sanctions and military pressure, Pezeshkian said the Iranian people have endured “the bitter experience of attempts to impose peace through power through various sanctions and military aggression over the past years, particularly in recent months.”
He maintained that Iran has acted within its legal rights and consistently sought dialogue.
“Over the past two decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran... has always made every effort to clarify existing ambiguities through dialogue and negotiation,” he said. “In June, we were subjected to aggression while the United States was hypocritically sitting at the negotiating table with Iran,” he said, referring to the U.S. and Israeli aerial aggression on the Islamic Republic.
Pezeshkian said European nations are threatening to reinstate sanctions while failing to meet their own commitments.
“Now, we face threats from European countries... despite their lack of practical and effective adherence to their commitments, while the most extensive international oversight has been conducted on the nuclear activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
He called on the SCO and other independent states to intervene diplomatically. “We expect the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and independent countries of the world to play their effective and responsible role against these injustices.”
The president reaffirmed Iran’s readiness to resolve the nuclear issue peacefully. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has always been ready to find a diplomatic solution to peacefully resolve its peaceful nuclear program,” he said.
Reiterating his warning on military escalation, Pezeshkian said such efforts “will face the heroic resistance of the Iranian people” and that diplomacy remains the only viable path. “We advise the United States and Europe to abandon confrontation-based solutions.”
The SCO summit, established over three decades ago, serves as a platform for countries seeking cooperative solutions in regional and international affairs.
Pezeshkian called it “a unique opportunity for dialogue and exchange among countries that share a common concern for peace, cooperation, and coordinated efforts to create a fairer and safer world.”
He praised the SCO’s cooperation model, calling it “based not on hostility and identity conflict, but on cooperation, mutual trust, and respect for diversity.”
He said that, unlike the post-Cold War order shaped by unilateralism, the SCO has kept hope alive for equitable global cooperation.
“The experience of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has kept alive the hope that countries... can interact and cooperate with each other from an equal standing without superiority,” he said.
He urged the SCO to deepen cooperation, especially with developing and emerging economies, to tackle global challenges such as “economic inequalities, sanctions, climate change, and transnational security crises.” He also highlighted the Shanghai Plus framework as a path to broader engagement.
Calling for a new model of global cooperation, he said it must be built on “principles based on equality and justice.” He added, “All countries, regardless of size or wealth, should enjoy equal rights and representation in global governance.”
Pezeshkian encouraged the SCO to expand its partnerships with Global South nations, especially in financial cooperation and infrastructure investment.
He noted that Iran is ready to contribute in these fields, citing its “vast scientific resources, energy supplies, and transit position.”
Iran’s geographic role in linking East and West through the Belt and Road Initiative was also emphasized. “This, along with Iran’s unparalleled stability and security, can serve as an important basis for connecting transportation lines... and integrating Iran into this project.”
Addressing regional conflicts, Pezeshkian said the SCO should play a more active peacebuilding role, particularly in West Asia.
“The Shanghai Cooperation Organization should pursue peacebuilding initiatives in its surrounding world in a more organized manner.”
He condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling it “a stain on the history of humanity and a difficult test for all people and governments witnessing these brutal crimes.” A just solution to the Palestinian issue, he said, is essential for peace.
“Our solution has always been the participation of all original inhabitants of Palestine in free elections to realize the right to self-determination as the most fundamental principle of international law.”
Pezeshkian concluded by thanking China for hosting the summit and endorsed President Xi Jinping’s Global Governance Initiative as “a significant step toward achieving a more just world.”