Iran demands security guarantees for a ceasefire

Tehran - The Iranian Foreign Ministry has demanded security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire with the United States andIsrael.

"If a ceasefire is to be established or the war is to be ended, there must be a guarantee that aggressive actions against Iran will not be repeated," Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi was quoted as saying by the newspaper Shargh on Tuesday. Otherwise aceasefire would be meaningless, he said.

Smoke continues to rise after a reported strike on fuel tanks in an oil refinery, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran

"The Islamic Republic of Iran was not the initiator of the war andaggression," Gharibabadi said, according to the report.

Iran's missile attacks were carried out in accordance with Article 51of the United Nations Charter only as "legitimate self-defence," hestressed.

In recent days, several countries have reportedly undertake nmediation efforts. These include China, Russia, France, as well as some "regional states," he added.