TEHRAN – President Masoud Pezeshkian has praised the unprecedented unity displayed by Iranians following the recent 12-day war initiated by Israel. Speaking at a ceremony held at Iran's Ministry of Cooperative, Labor and Social Welfare, on Tuesday, Pezeshkian emphasized that the aggression had fostered a powerful sense of national solidarity, even among those who had previously felt alienated from the government.

"The Zionist regime imagined that after martyring the commanders of our country's Armed Forces... the Islamic Establishment would face challenges," Pezeshkian stated. "However, the wisdom of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the immediate appointment of successors... thwarted the enemy's plots."

The president emphasized that the strength of the Iranian response lay not just in the military's capabilities, but also in the resilience of the Iranian people. "The Iranian people did a greater and more important job," he asserted. "The enemy's plan was... that the people would go rogue and take to the streets... but the people also stood up to the enemy and neutralized its conspiracies."

Pezeshkian further highlighted that even those who felt wronged or unfairly treated, including those in prison and Iranians living abroad, had united to defend the country. This demonstration of national unity, he argued, was invaluable. "The ones we lost in those 12 days were indeed very valuable and dear, but the consensus and empathy we gained are far more precious," Pezeshkian declared. He reiterated the importance of inclusivity in Iranian society, stating, "Iran belongs to all of us, regardless of race, gender, language, ethnicity, or religion."

The Iran-Israel war began on June 13 as the Zionist regime launched illegal and unprovoked attacks against Iran’s residential buildings and nuclear and military sites. The United States directly intervened after 10 days of Iran’s relentless pounding of the occupied territories, dropping bombs on nuclear facilities Israel had already targeted. Fighting came to a halt on June 24, a day after Iran hit the most important American base in West Asia with the use of missiles. The ceasefire was proposed to Iran by the U.S. through Qatar. 

Iranian military and political officials have said that they do not believe Israel will allow the ceasefire to hold, assuring the nation that they are ready to deliver more painful blows should the regime attack Iran again. 

Elsewhere in his Tuesday remarks, Pezeshkian urged continued efforts to preserve the strong unity among Iranians, stressing the need to "spare no effort in building and developing Iran."