'Israel doesn't want war': Iran says Russia relayed Netanyahu's message; raises doubt over Gaza ceasefire

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that Russia had relayed a message from Israel indicating it is not seeking a renewed conflict with Tehran, following a 12-day war in June.

"Apparently three or four days ago there was a telephone call between (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin," Araghchi said, as reported by AFP.
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"Netanyahu emphasised that he had no intention of restarting a war with Iran," he added, noting that the message was passed to Iran’s ambassador in Russia.

The comments come amid the implementation of a Gaza ceasefire deal that began on Friday, aimed at halting hostilities after two years of war between Israel and Gaza.

Despite backing the truce, Araghchi expressed strong scepticism over Israel’s commitment, "we warn about the tricks and betrayals of the Zionist regime (Israel) regarding previous agreements... There is absolutely no trust in the Zionist regime," he said.

Still, he reiterated Iran’s support for any initiative that could de-escalate the situation: "Any plan that serves to halt these (Israel's) crimes has always had our support."

The Iranian foreign ministry earlier stated that Tehran "has always supported any action and initiative that includes stopping the genocidal war, withdrawal of the occupying forces, bringing in humanitarian aid, releasing Palestinian prisoners and realising the fundamental rights of the Palestinians."

Tensions between Iran and Israel escalated sharply in June, when Israel launched unprecedented airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, sparking a brief but intense conflict.