Iran's president meets Russian FM, says Tehran rejects imposition of demands by force

TEHRAN - Tehran will not accept that another country would seek to impose its will and demands on other nations through force and pressure, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a meeting with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tehran on Monday.

Citing US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Pezeshkian said assassinating its leadership, military commanders, nuclear scientists and students, and hitting infrastructure defies all legal and moral standards, especially while Tehran was still negotiating with Washington.

Iran has no fundamental dispute with other countries of the West Asia region and is prepared to resolve existing issues and challenges through dialogue, Pezeshkian said, according to a statement published on the website of his office.

Lavrov, for his part, highlighted Russia-Iran alignment on global issues, stressing the need to press ahead with diplomatic talks and tap existing capabilities to bolster peace and security, the statement said.

Lavrov arrived in Tehran earlier in the day. Iran and Russia, both under US sanctions, have in recent years expanded their political and economic relations to counter US restrictions.