TEHERAN/WASHINGTON - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Tuesday the sole way to end the war is to stop the U.S. and Israeli "aggression" against Iran.

He made the remarks at a weekly press conference held at a school in the Iranian capital Tehran that was damaged as a result of the recent attacks by the United States and Israel, while commenting on Iran's preconditions for ending the war.

Baghaei said, "This military aggression has not been our choice. Our choice has always been diplomacy," adding Iran's diplomatic apparatus "bravely" continued the path of diplomacy with the government's support and did its best until the very last moment to avoid war, but the other side decided to begin a war.

"The way to stop this war is to stop the aggression. The United Nations Security Council has a responsibility (in this regard)," he said.

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Baghaei said the international community must make its decision before it gets late and the scope of the war expands in the West Asia region.

Asked about the possibility of certain Arab states' formation of an anti-Iran coalition with the United States, he noted that Tehran's principled policy is to continue its good relations with neighbors, emphasizing that Iran's actions against the United States are in no way indicative of the country's hostility toward regional states.

Baghaei said Iran has been attacked unjustly and without any reason, warning that the "flames" of the war will spread everywhere if the necessary action is not taken.

On Saturday morning, joint US-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with some of the leader's family members, senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded through several waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases across the Middle East. 

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Mehr said it has received reliable news confirming that Mojtaba is alive and in full health, and is currently pursuing issues pertaining to his killed family members and reviewing the country's important affairs.

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