Iranian president says neighbors shield Tehran from isolation

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that Tehran cannot be easily isolated from the international community, highlighting the Islamic Republic's extensive economic, commercial and security exchanges with its 15 neighboring countries.

Regional Connectivity

Speaking to reporters before departing for Ashgabat, Pezeshkian emphasized that regional integration provides Tehran with significant leverage against external pressure. “They cannot isolate us so easily because we have 15 neighboring countries in the region, and through each of these routes, we can maintain many of our economic, commercial, political and security exchanges,” he said, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB. He noted that opportunities arising from these relationships could contribute to developing Iran's interactions, regulations and trade.

Ashgabat Summits

Pezeshkian traveled to Turkmenistan to participate in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit and a Caspian Sea environmental summit. He is scheduled to deliver an address at the gatherings and hold bilateral talks with several participating leaders on the sidelines of the meetings. “I hope we can achieve the objectives we have in mind and will pursue through our discussions,” he added.

US Economic Pressure

Pezeshkian made the comments amid sustained US economic pressure on Tehran. Washington has imposed successive rounds of sanctions targeting key sectors of Iran's economy and financial networks as part of its broader pressure campaign. The CIS summit convenes leaders from former Soviet republics to discuss regional cooperation and environmental challenges facing the Caspian Sea.