Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said he does not favour continuing war, but stressed that the country must build its capacity to face future challenges — so that Iran is never forced to negotiate with an enemy from a position that is disrespectful or weak, according to Al Jazeera.
Iranian students’ news agency ISNA reported that Pezeshkian made the comments at a meeting with the heads of the country’s leading universities.
He said the country’s resilience and capacity must be strengthened to face future crises, and that universities should come forward with government support across the economy, management, culture, literature and other fields.
Pezeshkian said the government should draw on the help of “Generation Z,” the country’s younger students. He said Iran must ensure that young people do not limit themselves to protest, but instead engage themselves in solving problems.
Saying he holds no political hostility or bias toward anyone as president, he added: “Whoever helps us solve the country’s problems, regardless of their political ideology, I will welcome warmly.”
Iran’s president also spoke about his own political position, saying he has no political conflict with anyone and will accept cooperation from people of any political ideology to solve the country’s problems.
Pezeshkian said he is not in conflict with any side — left or right, religious or secular — and added that solving problems has nothing to do with a person’s beliefs or personal ideology.
On Iran’s economic situation, he warned that taking economic measures without considering the country’s current realities could lead to negative outcomes and losses rather than solving problems.