Iran’s president: ‘We do not wage war with any nation’

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani vowed Tuesday that his country would not “wage war with any nation” as the Trump administration orders another 1,000 U.S. troops to the Middle East to counter Tehran’s influence.

In a speech broadcast on state television, the Iranian leader reportedly said that his country is united against the U.S.

{mosads}“Iran will not wage war against any nation,” Rouhani said, according to Reuters. “Despite all of the Americans’ efforts in the region and their desire to cut off our ties with all of the world and their desire to keep Iran secluded, they have been unsuccessful.”

“The entire Iranian nation is unanimous in confronting” the U.S. in the Middle East, he continued, according to The Associated Press. “The end of this battle will see victory of the Iranian nation.”

The Trump administration announced Monday evening that an additional 1,000 troops would be deployed for defensive purposes throughout the Middle East following the destruction of two oil tankers that the U.S. has blamed on Iranian forces. A similar deployment of 1,500 U.S. troops occurred in late May.

“The United States does not seek conflict with Iran,” Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Monday. “The action today is being taken to ensure the safety and welfare of our military personnel working throughout the region and to protect our national interests.”

Iran has strongly rejected blame for last week’s attack on the two oil tankers, while Germany’s defense minister has called for the U.S. to provide stronger evidence to support its claim.

Democrats including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have indicated their opposition to war with Iran in recent days, blaming the rising tensions on the Trump administration.

“We have absolutely no appetite for going to war or to be provocative, to create situations that might evoke responses where mistakes could be made,” Pelosi told CNN on Sunday.