Pashinyan expresses 'sorrow' over Middle East crisis, calls for diplomatic solution

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during his address to the European Parliament on Wednesday in Strasbourg, spoke about the situation in Iran and across the Middle East.

Prime Minister Pashinyan said that Armenia feels deep sorrow witnessing what is happening in the region.

“Iran is our good friend and a neighbor for millennia. You have already seen the extent of our relations with the United States. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Syria are our valued partners. Recently, we have taken a historic step with Saudi Arabia by establishing diplomatic relations. We are deeply saddened by what is occurring in the Middle East. Amid such an international-scale crisis, we, as a small and modest state, can only pray for all those who lost their lives and for the wisdom of our partner leaders so that they may find diplomatic solutions as soon as possible,” Pashinyan said.

The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posing a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East.