Iran's president: Immediate cessation of US-Israeli aggression needed to end war

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that there needs ⁠to be ⁠an "immediate cessation" of what he described as U.S.-Israeli aggression to end the war and wider regional ⁠conflict, Iran's embassy in India said in an X post on Saturday.

Pezeshkian spoke with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi by phone earlier in the day.

Pezeshkian told Modi that there should be guarantees to prevent a recurrence ⁠of such "aggression" ⁠in the future. He also called on the BRICS bloc of major emerging economies to play an independent role in halting aggression against Iran.

The Iranian president proposed a regional security ⁠framework comprising West Asian countries to ensure peace without foreign interference, according to the country's embassy in India.

In a separate post on X earlier on Saturday, Modi said ⁠he condemned ‌attacks on ‌critical infrastructure in the ⁠Middle East in ‌the discussion with Pezeshkian.

The Indian Prime Minister further reiterated ⁠the importance of safeguarding ⁠freedom of navigation and ensuring ⁠shipping lanes remain open and secure.