Iranian president says Tehran cannot be easily isolated amid strong ties with neighbors

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday that Iran cannot be easily isolated, pointing to the country’s ties and extensive exchanges with its neighbors.

“They cannot isolate us so easily because we have 15 neighboring countries in the region, and through each of these routes, we can maintain many of our economic, commercial, political and security exchanges,” Pezeshkian told reporters before departing for Turkmenistan, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.

He said opportunities arising from regional engagement could also contribute to developing Iran’s interactions, regulations and trade.

“I hope we can achieve the objectives we have in mind and will pursue through our discussions,” he added.

Pezeshkian departed for Turkmenistan to attend and address the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit and a Caspian Sea environmental summit.

He is also expected to hold bilateral talks with several participating leaders on the sidelines of the meetings.

His remarks came amid continued US economic pressure on Tehran.

Washington has imposed successive rounds of sanctions on Iran, targeting key sectors of the country’s economy and financial networks as part of its broader pressure campaign against Tehran.