Tianjin — Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian declared on Monday that Tehran will never accept a “forced peace” dictated by foreign powers, insisting that the country’s nuclear file must be resolved solely through diplomacy and respect for sovereignty. Speaking before leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus summit in China, Pezeshkian framed Iran’s position as part of a larger rejection of Western dominance in global affairs.
The Iranian president argued that true peace cannot be manufactured by sanctions, pressure, or unilateral diktats from Washington and its allies. Instead, he urged world leaders to recognize that peace must be anchored in justice, fairness, and the mutual respect of nations. Iran’s vision, he said, is not simply about protecting its nuclear rights but also about defending an international order no longer manipulated by the West.
Pezeshkian emphasized that the SCO, where Iran has recently strengthened its role, offers a powerful platform for creating an alternative to Western hegemony. He highlighted Iran’s energy resources, scientific expertise, and strategic transport corridors as tools for building solidarity with fellow members and with the broader Global South. These partnerships, he noted, can challenge the political and economic stranglehold imposed by the United States and Europe.
The Iranian leader also linked his remarks to the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, describing Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza as another example of how so-called “peace efforts” by the West mask Gaza war crimes and colonial aggression. He called for a collective response from regional powers and SCO partners to ensure that justice, not coercion, shapes the path forward in the Middle East.
This latest statement continues Iran’s broader diplomatic push in recent months, where officials have repeatedly signaled readiness for “fair” negotiations on the nuclear issue while condemning sanctions as a weapon of coercion. The message from Tianjin underscores that Iran is prepared to talk, but only on terms of equality, not submission.
According to Mehr News, Iranian President Pezeshkian told the SCO summit that Iran will reject any settlement imposed by force while reaffirming its commitment to diplomacy as the only viable path forward on the nuclear file.
