TEHRAN/CAIRO, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday discussed in a phone call the necessity of resorting to diplomacy for the resolution of regional issues, amid rising Iran-U.S. tensions.
Pezeshkian said that Iran has in no way sought war and believes that war will neither be in its own interest nor that of the United States and the West Asia region, according to a statement published on the website of his office.
Pezeshkian said that Iran has always prioritized diplomacy over war for the resolution of issues, adding that Iran stresses the need for the formation of diplomatic processes and the pursuit of a dignity-based diplomacy on equal footing and in the absence of threats, so that dialogue can be formed in a "calm and constructive" atmosphere.
The Egyptian president said that any escalation of tension or conflict will lead to negative consequences for Iran and the entire region, giving the assurance that Egypt will continue its efforts to reduce tensions and is ready to support diplomatic initiatives to solve problems and ensure regional stability, according to a statement by the Egyptian Presidency.
The phone call came amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States, with the latter bolstering its military presence in the Middle East.
U.S. President Donald Trump said a "massive armada," led by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and larger than the fleet sent to Venezuela, is heading toward Iran. The deployment reflects the heightened risk of confrontation, even as Washington publicly holds out the possibility of diplomacy.
Earlier on Saturday, Iran's Army Chief Amir Hatami warned that if the United States makes any mistake, it will definitely jeopardize its own security and that of Israel and the entire West Asia region. Later, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani wrote on social media platform X that the formation of a structure for negotiations with the United States is "progressing," without elaborating. ■
