Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced Tuesday that more than 14 million Iranians, including himself, are ready to sacrifice their lives to defend the country.
In a statement posted on his social media, X, the Iranian president wrote, "More than 14 million proud Iranians have so far registered to sacrifice their lives to defend Iran. I, too, have been, am, and will remain devoted to giving my life for Iran."
Earlier, Pezeshkian issued an open letter to the American public, calling on them to look beyond the "machinery of misinformation" amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against his country.
Throughout its modern history, Iran "has never chosen the path of aggression, expansion, colonialism, or domination," despite having endured occupation, invasion, and sustained pressure from global powers, he noted. "The Iranian people harbor no enmity toward other nations, including the people of America, Europe, or neighboring countries."
Despite ongoing ceasefire negotiations via intermediaries, U.S. airstrikes inside Iran have continued, prompting Iranian officials to prepare for further attacks and casting doubt on whether talks will limit military action.
On Feb 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran has responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the Middle East.
Iranian president says ready to die for Iran with over 14 million Iranians
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, extended on Tuesday congratulations to To Lam on his election as president of Vietnam.
Noting that China and Vietnam are a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, Xi said that in recent years, under the joint guidance and promotion of the leaders of the two parties and the two countries, China-Vietnam relations have achieved leapfrog development, and the comprehensive strategic cooperation has yielded fruitful results, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries.
Since the beginning of this year, the two sides have maintained high-level strategic communication and continuously advanced all-round mutually beneficial cooperation, fully demonstrating the profound friendship of "comrades plus brothers," he said.
Xi stressed that, in the face of accelerating changes unseen in a century, stronger unity and coordination between China and Vietnam serve the common interests of both parties and countries.
Xi said that he attaches great importance to the development of relations between the two parties and the two countries, and stands ready to work with To Lam to advance development and national rejuvenation, promote steady progress in the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, continuously strengthen respective socialist causes, and better benefit the two peoples, so as to inject greater stability and positive energy into the region and the wider world.
Also on Tuesday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang sent a congratulatory message to Le Minh Hung on his election as prime minister of Vietnam.
Li said that he stands ready to work with Le Minh Hung to take the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and countries as the fundamental guidance, accelerate the building of a mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation framework, and make positive contributions to advancing the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
Xi congratulates To Lam on election as president of Vietnam
