Iran Says Conflict With US and Israel Not Over, Maintains Defensive Posture

TEHRAN, April 29. /TASS/. Iran believes the conflict with the United States and Israel is not over, so the Islamic Republic is taking a defensive position in all directions, said Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh. "I think it's hard to say that the war is over. Until the war ends on all fronts, peace cannot be guaranteed. And this is why I think Iran cannot risk its national security. Iran will continue to remain on high alert and [take] a defensive position on various fronts," the diplomat said at the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS), a research center at the Iranian Foreign Ministry. He said that the Islamic Republic's goal is to "defeat the aggressor," to prevent the United States from "achieving any of its goals inside Iran." According to him, it is now necessary to "focus on ending this war and eliminating its root causes. And we will deal with this, as we proposed [at the talks] in Islamabad and after." The United States and Israel started a war against Iran on February 28. On April 7, US President Donald Trump announced a two-week mutual ceasefire with the Islamic Republic. According to Iran, 3,375 Iranians were killed by American-Israeli strikes during the 40 days of the war. On April 11, Tehran and Washington held failed talks in Islamabad. On April 21, Trump extended the ceasefire. According to Iranian state television, Tehran does not intend to recognize the unilateral extension and will act in accordance with its interests.