Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has rejected the perception that his country poses a threat to international security in an open letter to the American people.
In the message published by Iranian state media, he argues that the way Iran is presented on the international stage is the result of "the political and economic whims of great powers."
The Iranian president called on United States citizens to "look beyond political rhetoric" and reconsider how they perceive his country.
According to him, Iran is one of the oldest continuous civilizations in human history and in modern history has not chosen the path of aggression or expansion.
"Iran has never started a war, but has resolutely defended itself against those who have attacked it," the president's letter states.
Pezeshkian adds that the portrayal of Iran as a threat does not match either historical reality or current facts. According to him, this perception is created to justify political pressure, military dominance, and to support the global arms industry.
Meanwhile, in another development related to tensions in the region, the head of the French navy, Admiral Nicolas Vaujour, stated during a security conference in Paris that so far there is no evidence that the Strait of Hormuz has been mined.
He stressed that the situation in this vital corridor for global trade remains worrying and called on Chinese authorities to engage more directly to exert pressure on Iran and help restore normal maritime traffic in the strait.
