Khatami Declares “No Path but Negotiation with Mutual Respect” After Israel’s Strike

According to Saed News, Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, Iran’s former president, issued a stirring message of solidarity and strategic counsel following Israel’s recent assault. Paying homage to the “great and discerning” Iranian nation, he praised their collective fortitude and underscored how the people’s heroism and selfless public service have “reborn our historic and cultural spirit.”

In his statement, Khatami condemned the US-backed Israeli offensive as a threat to a region desperately in need of peace, prosperity and coexistence. “Israel laid bare the most blatant scenes of mass killing and international-law violations during the twelve-day war,” he said, accusing the regime of aiming to “shatter Iran’s territorial integrity” and targeting hospitals, businesses, homes and even prisons with full American support.

Yet, he noted, the attackers were met with a “united voice” of defiance. Iran’s domestically developed defensive capabilities—built on indigenous knowledge, technology and meticulous planning—proved sufficient to breach the enemy’s so-called Iron Dome. Khatami urged that anxieties be dispelled and a “secure horizon” opened for sustainable, inclusive development.

Turning to diplomacy, he stressed that, despite myriad challenges, Iran’s hand “is not closed” to negotiations addressing both longstanding and emerging issues. “Our greatest asset today is national unity and cohesion,” he affirmed. Khatami concluded by admonishing the United States to “restrain Israel’s wounded, predatory wolf” and to recognise that “there is no path but negotiation founded on mutual respect.” He warned that adversaries could no longer cling to the illusion that war would compel Iranians to capitulate to “unlawful, aggressive demands.”