Iran not seeking escalation of tensions in region: FM

TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Tuesday that Tehran was not after escalating tensions in the region.

He made the remarks in a phone conversation with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi, during which the two sides discussed the latest developments in the Middle East, including Iran's massive retaliatory attack on Israel and the situation in the Gaza Strip, as well as bilateral relations, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Amir-Abdollahian stressed that Iran will always remain an important part of sustainable stability and security in the region, adding that "Israel is the main root cause of the tension and war in the region."

He appreciated Indonesia's condemnation of Israel's attack on the consular section of Iran's embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus on April 1, describing the Israeli strike as an "act of aggression."

Amir-Abdollahian added that Iran's drone and missile attack against Israel was within the framework of international law.

For her part, the Indonesian foreign minister called for the continuation of bilateral cooperation on the Palestinian issue, noting that the Gaza crisis should not be forgotten and the Palestinian cause should be "kept alive."

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said in two separate statements early Sunday that it had launched a combined missile and drone attack and "successfully hit and destroyed" important Israeli military targets.