Motorists pass by a large banner depicting an image of the Iranian Revolution in Tehran on Feb. 3, 2026, on the eve of the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. (Credit: Atta Kenare/AFP)
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that the Middle East does not need the United States to be a "regional policeman", with the two countries at war and vying for control of the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reported.
"We do not need a regional policeman: the territorial integrity and security of the region can only be guaranteed by its main players and the countries that comprise it," he said on the sidelines of a Brics summit in India during a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The United States and Iran are locked in an active military conflict that began with massive joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in February 2026 and has escalated into a continuous war over shipping lanes and nuclear programs. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that the war with the United States could end if Washington stopped threatening the Islamic Republic and met Tehran's conditions, including regarding its nuclear program.
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