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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday said Tehran does not seek to escalate the war but will respond to Israeli attacks with proportional force.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian shared details of a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying, “We do not want to escalate the war, but we will deliver a regrettable response to any form of aggression against Iran.”
He stressed that Iran did not initiate the conflict but would defend itself against Israeli assaults.
During the call, Erdogan expressed concern over rising tensions and reiterated Türkiye’s offer to help end the conflict and restart nuclear negotiations.
“Türkiye is prepared to play a facilitating role to ensure an immediate end to the clashes and a return to nuclear talks,” Erdogan said, according to a statement from Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
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Clashes between Iran and Israel erupted on June 13 after Israel launched large-scale airstrikes on multiple Iranian cities, targeting nuclear facilities and senior military officials. The attacks killed Iran’s chief of general staff, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, several senior commanders, and nine nuclear scientists. Iranian authorities reported 224 civilian deaths.
Iran retaliated with ballistic missile strikes on Israeli territory, killing at least 24 people and injuring more than 500.
Türkiye and several other countries have condemned Israel’s actions.
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