Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, February 21, 2026. Iran's Presidential website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS

Iran's president says immediate cessation of US-Israeli aggression needed to end war

· Yahoo News

March 21 (Reuters) - Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that there needs ‌to be an "immediate cessation" of what ‌he described as U.S.-Israeli aggression to end the war ​and wider regional conflict, Iran's embassy in India said in an X post on Saturday.

Pezeshkian spoke with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‌by phone earlier ⁠in the day.

Pezeshkian told Modi that there should be guarantees to ⁠prevent a recurrence of such "aggression" in the future. He also called on the BRICS bloc ​of major ​emerging economies to ​play an independent ‌role in halting aggression against Iran.

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The Iranian president proposed a regional security framework comprising West Asian countries to ensure peace without foreign interference, according to the country's embassy in ‌India.

In a separate post ​on X earlier on Saturday, ​Modi said ​he condemned attacks on critical infrastructure ‌in the Middle East ​in the ​discussion with Pezeshkian.

The Indian Prime Minister further reiterated the importance of safeguarding freedom ​of navigation ‌and ensuring shipping lanes remain open and ​secure.

(Reporting by Ananya Palyekar in Bengaluru; ​Editing by Sharon Singleton)