Iran will never remain silent in the face of aggression, president says

Iran will not stay quiet over aggression, President Masoud Pezeshkian told French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, according to state media on Wednesday, amid fears of more regional conflict after the killing in Tehran last week of Hamas' leader.

"Iran will never remain silent in the face of aggression against its interests and security," Pezeshkian told Macron in a phone call.

West must 'force Israel to accept Gaza ceasefire'

"If the United States and the Western countries are truly seeking to prevent war in the region, they must force this regime (Israel) to stop the genocide and attacks on Gaza and accept a ceasefire," he said, according to the media.

Macron told Pezeshkian during the phone call on Wednesday that he must do everything in his power to avoid escalation in the region and that the cycle of retaliation must stop, the Elysee palace said in a statement.

Macron said Iran has to call on the "destabilizing players it supports" to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid a conflagration.

An emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation was being held on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia at Iran's request to discuss the killing of former Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Tehran, Hamas, and Hezbollah have accused Israel of killing Haniyeh on July 31.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for Haniyeh's death.