The Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, called the president of the Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, as part of efforts to prevent a spread of conflict in the Middle East.
The conversation took place amid expectations for a military response from Tehran to the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh by Israel on July 31.
According to a statement from the Italian government, Meloni highlighted the “need to avoid an expansion of the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip” and asked Iran to “reopen the path of dialogue”. During the conversation, the prime minister also highlighted “Italy's commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region, through a necessary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of hostages [by Hamas] and the reinforcement of humanitarian aid to civilian population”.
Since last week, Western diplomacy has been active in trying to deter Iran from a large-scale response against Israel for the assassination of Haniyeh, who died during a stay in Tehran to attend Pezeshkian's inauguration as president.
The Iranian government has indicated on several occasions that retaliation is a matter of time, but it has also highlighted that it does not wish to escalate the conflict in the Middle East, where there is already a risk of increased hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, a Shiite group supported by Tehran, in Lebanon. . (HANDLE)
