BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 2. Iran’s actions in
the Persian Gulf region are a response to aggression and are guided
by the right to self-defense, not the initiation of war, Iranian
President Masoud Pezeshkian said in an open address to the American
people, Trend reports.


“Iran’s steps are a measured response based on legitimate
self-defense, not the start of military action or an act of
aggression,” the head of the Islamic Republic emphasized. He also
noted that “Iran has never pursued a policy of aggression,
expansion, or colonialism in its modern history,” and, according to
him, Tehran “has never been the initiator of war.”


The president added that portraying Iran as a threat does not
reflect either historical facts or the current reality.


In 2015, an agreement was reached between Iran and the P5+1
group on a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action regarding Iran’s
nuclear program, and the UN Security Council adopted Resolution
2231, which led to the repeal of the previous six resolutions and
the lifting of widespread sanctions against Iran related to its
nuclear program.


In 2018, the U.S. withdrew from the plan and imposed sanctions
on Iran. Iran’s gradual lifting of the restrictions provided for in
the plan was not unanimously accepted by other countries.
Consequently, on September 28, 2025, UN Security Council
resolutions against Iran were reinstated.







The International Atomic Energy Agency’s report, published in
May 2025, indicated that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium stood
at 9,247 kilograms, of which more than 408 kilograms were enriched
to 60% or higher.


Although two rounds of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program
took place between the U.S. and Iran at different times, the
parties failed to reach a concrete agreement, and both rounds of
talks ended in conflict. The most recent of these conflicts began
on February 28, when the U.S. and Israel launched military
airstrikes against Iran.


In response, Iran began launching missile and drone strikes
against Israeli and U.S. targets in countries across the region.
Over time, the conflict expanded significantly and engulfed various
countries in the Middle East.


The conflict has placed the region’s energy infrastructure and
maritime shipping under serious threat. Due to security tensions in
the Strait of Hormuz, global oil prices have risen significantly.
Iran fully controls the Strait of Hormuz and allows passage only to
vessels it deems necessary.