Iran’s president visits Qatar, aims to rally opposition to Israeli ‘crimes’

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has arrived in Qatar for bilateral talks and a summit at which he said he hopes to enlist Asian countries’ help in preventing what he called “Israeli crimes” in the Middle East.

Starting his first trip to Qatar as president, Pezeshkian criticizes Israel over the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Iran blames Israel for Haniyeh’s assassination on July 31. Israel has neither claimed nor denied responsibility for his death.

“We also want security and peace. It was Israel that assassinated Haniyeh in Tehran,” Pezeshkian is quoted saying on his arrival in Qatar by Iran’s Student News Network.

“Europeans and the US says if we do not act, there will be a peace in Gaza in one week. We waited for them to have peace but they increased their killing.”

“If the Zionist regime [Israel] does not stop its crimes, it will face harsher reactions,” Iranian state media quotes Pezeshkian as saying as he left for Qatar.

Pezeshkian tells state television that the first goal in Doha was to discuss bilateral ties and sign agreements with the Qatari government. He will also attend a summit of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue.

“The second goal is to discuss how Asian countries can prevent Israeli crimes in the region… and prevent enemies from causing uproar in the Middle East,” Pezeshkian says.