TEHRAN - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have exchanged views on bilateral ties and developments in West Asia, including the situation in Gaza.
In a phone call on Monday night, the two sides discussed ways to improve relations between Iran and Britain and ensure peace and stability in West Asia and the world, according to a statement published on the website of the Iranian president's office on Tuesday.
The Iranian president expressed his willingness to improve bilateral ties and resumption of the talks on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, stressing that all sides' fulfillment of their commitments is the key to the nuclear negotiations' success.
He slammed as being "irresponsible and in contradiction with international law" the international organizations' silence in the face of Israel's "unprecedented and inhumane crimes in Gaza and terrorist actions in the region" and some Western countries' support for Israel, saying such approaches had jeopardized peace and security in the region and the world by encouraging Israel to continue its "crimes."
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Pezeshkian added that Iran maintained that war in any part of the world would not be in the interests of any country, stressing that giving a punitive response to aggressors was a legal right of countries and a solution to stop "crimes and aggression".
The British prime minister, for his part, called for the cessation of the conflict in Gaza and the swift beginning of aid delivery to people in the coastal enclave, requesting Iran to further contribute to those processes.
Starmer expressed his country's readiness to promote relations with Iran, hoping that the two countries' new ambassadors would begin their missions as soon as possible.
According to a press release published on the British government's website on Monday, during the phone call, Starmer also said that he was "deeply concerned by the situation" in West Asia, stressing that "now was the time for calm and careful consideration," and calling on Iran to refrain from exacting revenge on Israel.
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Separately, Iranian Caretaker Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani discussed Tehran's response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the Iranian foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
In a phone call, Bagheri Kani condemned recent Israeli actions as violations of the sovereignty of Syria, Lebanon, and Iran, asserting Iran's right to retaliate against Israel for Haniyeh's killing. He added that Israel's actions had disrupted efforts to end the violence in Gaza.
Tajani emphasized the importance of implementing a truce initiative proposed by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible. He expressed concern over the rising tensions and urged all parties to exercise restraint, according to the Iranian foreign ministry's statement.
The Middle East has been bracing for escalating tension amidst Iran and its allies' threats to avenge the killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders last month.
In April, Iran attacked Israel directly for the first time in history with hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones in retaliation for an attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria earlier in the month, which killed seven Iranians, including two military commanders. Israel reported intercepting the majority of the missiles and drones.
