Iran calls missile strike on Israel a move to contain 'barbarism,' says president

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian told Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof that Tehran delayed retaliating for the assassination of Hamas chief Ismael Haniyeh, hoping that ceasefire efforts in Gaza would succeed.

“The missile attack by the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Zionist regime was intended to contain the regime’s barbarism, stop its attempts to expand crimes and attacks in the region, and achieve a ceasefire, peace, and stability, all within the framework of the UN Charter and international law, targeting only military sites,” Pezeshkian said during a phone call with Schoof.