Iran’s Pezeshkian says Tehran ‘not looking for war’ after US strike

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday stated that Tehran is "not looking for war" but warned that the Islamic Republic will never remain passive in the face of aggression, speaking publicly for the first time since US forces struck Larak Island over the weekend.

US strike on Larak Island

American forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, marking the first US attack on Iranian territory since late July, according to a US official who spoke to Axios. The operation targeted systems that were allegedly being prepared to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed that several fighters and civilians were killed or injured in the strike and vowed to respond to the aggression. Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that preliminary information indicated the attack was carried out by unmanned aerial vehicles.

Pezeshkian’s warning

Speaking to reporters before departing for Kyrgyzstan, Pezeshkian said Iran "will give a decisive response to the aggressors" if attacked again, according to the Fars news agency. "Instability and unrest in the region are not in the interest of any country and will challenge everyone," he added. The president is due in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek to attend a summit of heads of state of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries.

Escalation timeline

The Larak Island operation marked the first US strikes on Iranian territory since late July, when American forces targeted three other islands in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington has intensified military operations against Iranian military infrastructure amid ongoing tensions over maritime security in the vital waterway.