Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian headed to Qatar on Wednesday to attend a summit of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue and discuss how Israeli crimes can be prevented in the region.

In a meeting with members of the Hamas Political Bureau, Pezeshkian emphasized that Western countries had made empty promises to Iran, urging it to show restraint in hopes of securing a ceasefire in Gaza. He stressed that the ongoing Israeli crimes forced Iran to carry out a harsh response to "Israel", warning that if the latter decides to make the "slightest mistake" it should prepare to receive an even harsher response. 

Pezeshkian described the assassination of Haniyeh, which the Iranian Armed Forces included as part of the justification for its response, as one of the most painful events in his life, "as he was a guest at my inauguration ceremony."

Moreover, during his visit, the Iranian President also met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, during which they discussed and consulted on the latest developments in the region and the world.

'War is in no one's interest' 

This comes after Iran launched Operation True Promise 2 in response to increasing Israeli hostilities and aggression in the region, particularly its assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.

Any Israeli response would be met with even greater force from the Islamic Republic, Pezeshkian said earlier on Wednesday. The president's remarks, delivered from Qatar, came in the wake of the Israeli occupation discussing an attack on Iran with the United States.

The Iranian president emphasized that Iran is not seeking war. "We are not looking for war at all," he said. "We seek peace," but he underscored that regional security is deeply intertwined with the security of Muslims.

He further stated that the Israeli occupation's provocations had forced Iran to react, noting that destabilizing the region's security serves neither European nor US interests.