Iran says ceasefire requires end to further aggression amid push for diplomacy

A senior Iranian diplomat said on Monday a ceasefire in the ongoing war with the United States and Israel would require guarantees that no further aggression against the Islamic Republic takes place, as global diplomatic efforts intensify to halt the fighting.

"If a ceasefire is to be established or the war is to stop, there must be guarantees that aggressive actions against Iran will not be repeated," Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in remarks to Iranian state television. He added that several countries, including Russia, have contacted Iran to help push for a ceasefire.

The comments come as Russia said President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump on Monday to discuss the situation in Iran, with Putin suggesting ways to end the hostilities.

On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told PBS that talks with the US are no longer on Tehran's agenda, adding that he does not believe Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei would consider such engagement.

Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen by Iran's Assembly of Experts to succeed his father, Ali Khamenei, following his death in US-Israeli strikes. Iran launched retaliatory strikes targeting Israeli territory and US assets across the Middle East after the US and Israel initiated attacks on the country on February 28.

Stressing that Iran's response to any US aggression would constitute legitimate self-defense, Araghchi said Tehran had already warned regional states it would target US bases and assets in the region if attacked by Washington.

Meanwhile in the US, Trump said the war against Iran would end "very soon," though not this week, adding he was not yet ready to declare the mission accomplished.

"We've already won in many ways, but we haven't won enough," he added.

Trump's remarks came amid concerns that surging oil prices and a prolonged war could trigger political backlash. According to The Wall Street Journal, several advisers have privately urged the US president to find a way to exit the conflict quickly.

Trump, who has been surprised by Tehran's refusal to back down, has been pressed to present a clear off-ramp strategy and demonstrate that the objectives of U.S. strikes on Iran have largely been achieved, the Journal reported.

Recent polls in the US suggest that most Americans oppose the war, and some of Trump's advisors fear that prolonged fighting could erode support among conservatives still backing the campaign, the media outlet said.

While Trump's latest remarks signal a shift from his previous rhetoric, including discussions of a ground deployment, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly affirmed his determination to continue the campaign.

The Israeli operation against Iran is "far from over," said Netanyahu, who has seen a boost in domestic support amid the war, on Tuesday.

The conflict, which has entered its 11th day, saw continued US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets as well as fresh barrages of Iran's missiles and drones toward Israel and US bases in the region.

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday that Tehran is "definitely not looking for a ceasefire."

"We believe the aggressor should be punched in the mouth so that it learns a lesson and will never think of attacking our beloved Iran again," Ghalibaf said in a social media post.