Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday expressed deep concern about vicious cycle of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh, saying that the conflict should come to an immediate end and not to spread to the region, IRNA reported.
Speaking during a cabinet session, Rouhani said that in his talks with the Armenian and Azeri officials, he had underlined the significance of protecting the Iranian security. "Nothing can be resolved by conflict and bloodshed," he said.
He cautioned those who “fan the flames of war” that this war would not favor anyone.
Rouhani said that Iran cannot tolerate the shelling of its soil by the warring sides. He noted that Tehran has asked Armenia and Azerbaijan to pay due attention to this issue.
It is not acceptable for Iran that certain countries are transferring terrorist elements from Syria and other places to this region which is close to the Iranian border, the president said, adding that Iran has conveyed this message to officials from both Azerbaijan and Armenia.
"There are other ways to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem that we are ready to help in this regard," Rouhani added, Mehr News Agency reported.
"We must be very careful. We must not let this war turn into a regional war. This war will not benefit anyone," he said.
"Everyone must accept the reality and everyone must accept the rights of nations. Everyone must respect territorial integrity and know that the solution to the problem is not war. Rather, political solution is the only solution for this issue, and of course every country must respect the rights of its neighbors," Rouhani highlighted.
Emphasizing that occupation and war are not acceptable to Iran at all, he said, "Peace is the basis for the Islamic Republic of Iran and is very important to us."
