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Iran will continue talks with US only after Israel halts its aggression — president

"If the United States wants to resume negotiations, it must first halt Israel’s aggression," Masoud Pezeshkian said

TEHRAN, June 16. /TASS/. Tehran will be ready to resume talks with the United States only after it reins in its ally Israel, and the attacks on Iran stop, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said.

"If the United States wants to resume negotiations, it must first halt Israel’s aggression," the Mehr news agency quoted him as saying during a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"Iran is not seeking to escalate the war but will respond to any attack on Iranian soil," Pezeshkian said.

Erdogan, in turn, stressed that halting Israeli attacks should be the top priority now. "Then, Iran and the United States must hold nuclear talks," he said, adding that in this case Turkey will be ready to provide a venue for such negotiations.

Overnight into June 13, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion targeting Iran’s nuclear program. Iran responded in less than 24 hours. In the following days, Tel Aviv and Tehran exchanged strikes again. Both parties reported casualties and damage, and admitted that a number of facilities had been hit, but said the damage was limited.

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Iran's nuclear program issue United States Israel

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