Iran will never remain silent in the face of aggression against its interests and security, President Masoud Pezeshkian told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, state media reported, on Wednesday. Amid an increase in regional tensions following the killing in Tehran last week of Hammas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the newly inaugurated Iranian President, in a call to Macron said that if US and Western countries are truly seeking to prevent war, they must force Israel to stop the "genocide" in Gaza and accept a ceasefire. He further told the French Prez that Tehran considers avoidance of war and the effort to establish global peace and security as fundamental principles, according to the state media. An emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation was being held on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia at Iran's request to discuss the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the former leader of Palestinian militant group Hamas. Tehran and Iran-aligned groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah have accused Israel of killing Haniyeh on July 31. His death was one in a series of killings of senior Hamas figures during the war. Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility for Haniyeh's death.
