TEHRAN, April 16 (MNA) – The Austrian foreign minister stressed the need for diplomatic efforts to put an end to the crisis in the Gaza Strip. Noting that Iran has never been seeking to escalate tensions in the region, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-abdollahian has said that the Zionist regime has seemingly misinterpreted Iran’s restraint.

The foreign minister made the remarks in a phone conversation on Monday with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg.

He described Iran’s Saturday night strikes on Zionist targets as the country’s legitimate right to self-defense.

The Austrian foreign minister, for his part, said that more regional conflicts will be detrimental to everyone, underlining the need for diplomatic efforts to put an end to the crisis in Gaza Strip.

RHM/