Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian: If The Palestinians Decide On A Two-State Solution, We Will Accept It, But Our Position Is That There Should Be A Referendum

In a September 26, 2024 show on Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar), Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was asked if Iran is ready to support a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. He answered that if "the people there" conclude that this is the best path and the most appropriate solution, then Iran will accept it, and that Iran's problem is with the "tyranny, oppression, and cowardly acts" that target Muslims in the Middle East. He elaborated that if a democratic referendum is held, Iran will respect whatever outcome. Later in the interview, he said that Iran has never sought war with anybody, that it believes in peace and security for the region, that it wants to "sit down with the world" and join it again, and that it will allow inspections of its nuclear project only when the West is convinced that Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons or WMDs. He added: "However, it is inconceivable that we abide by our commitments, time and again, and then they rip their own commitments apart.

Interviewer: "Is Tehran ready to support a two-state solution, and do you think this is currently the best solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?"

Masoud Pezeshkian: "The people there concluded that they should take this path, and there is no problem with that. Our problem is that tyranny, the oppression, and the cowardly acts that target the Muslims in the region. We will not accept this. Any solution that they reach, and believe it to be the appropriate solution – we will accept it. We believe in a path that relies on the democracy that some people say they adhere to. If this is the case, they should organize a referendum, and whatever the outcome, we will respect it.

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"We have never sought war with anyone. Look at the past 200 years of Iran's history. We have not attacked any neighboring country. We believe that we must live in peace and security in the region. This is why we should sit down with the world, reach a solution, and join the world [again]. When they become convinced that we are not seeking nuclear weapons or WMDs, we will not fear any inspection, based on the same values. However, it is inconceivable that we abide by our commitments, time and again, and then they rip their own commitments apart."