Iran’s president says possible ceasefire could ‘affect’ response to Israel

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Iran’s president said on Sunday that a possible ceasefire between his allies and Israel “could affect the intensity” of Tehran’s response to Israel’s recent attacks on Iranian military sites.

“If they (the Israelis) reconsider their behavior, accept a ceasefire and stop massacring the oppressed and innocent people in the region, it could affect the intensity and nature of our response,” Masoud Pezeshkian said, quoted by the state news agency IRNA.

He added that Iran “will not leave any aggression against its sovereignty and security unanswered,” the news agency said.

Israeli warplanes carried out the Oct. 26 strikes, which Israel said were in retaliation for Tehran’s Oct. 1 rocket fire.

Iran, in turn, described this attack as retaliation for the killing of Iranian-backed militant leaders and a Revolutionary Guard commander.

Since last month’s attacks, Israel has warned Iran of retaliation, while Tehran promised a response.

On Saturday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all state affairs, said the Islamic Republic would take revenge.

“The enemies, both the United States and the Zionist regime, should know that they will definitely receive a tooth-breaking response to what they do against Iran, the Iranian nation and the resistance front,” Khamenei said in a speech Students Tehran.

He was referring to the alliance of Tehran-backed armed groups that include Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

After the attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they had “impaired Iran’s defense capabilities and missile production.”

Iranian forces said the attack killed four military personnel and caused “limited damage” to some radar systems. Iranian media said a civilian was also killed.

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