Iran’s newly elected President, Masoud Pezeshkian, has stated that Iran does not aim to escalate the war with Israel, but warned that his country will respond proportionally to any attack, Rks News reports.
His remarks came during a phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday, according to CNN, citing Iran’s state news agency.
Pezeshkian accused Israel of “open aggression,” claiming that recent attacks have caused the deaths of civilians, scientists, and Iranian military commanders.
“Iran did not start this war, but it will respond in proportion to the level of the attack,” Pezeshkian said.
He also emphasized that Iran’s participation in nuclear negotiations with the United States depends on the cessation of Israeli attacks on countries in the region.
For his part, Erdoğan expressed Turkey’s readiness to act as a facilitator in reducing tensions and bringing the parties back to the nuclear negotiation table, according to Turkey’s state news agency
