Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday slammed the West, saying that Israel is “committing massacres” in the war in Gaza and using European and American weapons to do so.
Pezeshkian, who spoke in Baghdad at the start of his first visit abroad since taking office, is hoping to cement Tehran’s ties to Baghdad as regional tensions increasingly pull both majority Shiite countries into the widening Middle East fray.
Iran has been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian Hamas group since its Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that sparked the war in the Gaza Strip. More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war erupted, according to local health officials. The war has also caused vast destruction and displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, often multiple times, The AP reportd.
“The Israeli entity is committing massacres against women, children, young men and elderly. They bomb hospitals and schools,” Pezeshkian said.
“All these crimes are being committed by using European and American ammunition and bombs,” he added, without elaborating.
Ahead of Pezeshkian’s arrival, an explosion struck a site near Baghdad International Airport used by the US military on Tuesday night. There were no reported casualties and the circumstances of the explosion were unclear.
The US Embassy later described it as an “attack” on the Baghdad Diplomatic Services Compound, an American diplomatic facility, and that it was “assessing the damage” and the cause of the explosion. It didn't provide further details.
Pezeshkian's visit is significant for both countries.
