Iran president says Middle East has no need for US ‘policeman’

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that the Middle East does not require the United States to act as a regional policeman during a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at a BRICS summit in India. Pezeshkian emphasized that the territorial integrity and security of the region must be guaranteed by its main players and the countries that comprise it, following the ongoing war between Iran and the US.

This conflict began on February 28 when US-Israeli strikes killed Iran's supreme leader, prompting a retaliatory attack from Iran across the region and a blockade of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. Since then, the US has been competing with Iran for control of this critical waterway, which formerly allowed one-fifth of the world's oil to pass through.

Iran now requires ships to obtain permission to pass through the strait and has threatened to charge service fees for non-compliant vessels, resulting in regular strikes on ships that do not comply. The US has also periodically bombed the Iranian coastline to challenge Iran's control over the strait. Despite the immense suffering endured by the Iranian people, Pezeshkian reiterated that peace remains the country's top priority, rejecting both the desire and continuation of war.