Iran's President Urges All Parties to Exercise Restraint Amid Escalating Conflict

Amid rising tensions and a series of retaliatory attacks with the United States, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for restraint from actions that could further worsen the situation. In the current circumstances, according to Pezeshkian, alongside diplomatic efforts to strengthen a ceasefire and prevent the crisis from expanding, there is also a trend where the US and Israel are attempting to disrupt the stabilisation process in the Middle East. “It is natural to expect that other parties also adhere to their commitments and refrain from positions or actions that would undermine trust and complicate the diplomatic process,” Pezeshkian said in a phone call with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to a statement from the Iranian presidential office. On Wednesday evening, the United States launched another attack on Iran. US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed the action was taken in retaliation for Iranian actions against commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian forces subsequently launched a counterattack against US military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, accusing the US of violating a memorandum of understanding for the cessation of hostilities. US President Donald Trump later stated that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran was no longer in effect.