TEHERAN/WASHINGTON/VIENNA/BAGHDAD - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Tuesday the sole way to end the war is to stop the US 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. 

Son of Khamenei 'in full health'

Mojtaba Khamenei, the second-eldest son of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is in full health, and currently studying important affairs of the country, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported Tuesday.

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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US: 17 Iranian ships destroyed 

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday that US forces have destroyed 17 Iranian ships, sinking the entire Iranian navy.

Leadership compound 

The Israeli military struck Iran's Presidential office and the building of the Supreme National Security Council, dropping dozens of bombs on the country's leadership compound in Tehran, military spokesman Effie Defrin said.

In a press briefing, Defrin said that warplanes attacked the compound overnight. He added that the gathering compound, which he described as the site of Iran's most senior security decision-making forum, was targeted, as well as the institution for training Iranian military officers and additional key government infrastructure.

Senior Quds Force official killed 

An Israeli airstrike in Iran on Tuesday killed Daoud Alizadeh, the commander of the Lebanon Corps in Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps' elite Quds Force, the Israeli state-owned Kan news reported, citing Israeli officials.

The strike, part of the ongoing joint military campaign by the United States and Israel, targeted high-level leadership within the Iranian government. Alizadeh was reportedly responsible for coordinating operations between Tehran and regional allies in Lebanon.

Natanz nuclear facility

Damage has been confirmed to Iran's Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday.

The United Nations nuclear watchdog said on social media that it has confirmed some "recent damage" to the entrance buildings of the underground Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant, based on the satellite imagery.

Israeli airspace 

Israel will gradually reopen its airspace starting Wednesday night to facilitate the return of over 100,000 citizens stranded abroad, Transportation Minister Miri Regev said Tuesday.

The first flights are set to resume overnight Wednesday at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main international gateway. Israel's airspace has been closed since Saturday's joint US-Israeli military strikes against Iran.

THAAD anti-missile system

Iran's IRGC on Tuesday claimed that it hit the second US THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) anti-missile system in West Asia, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Iraqi militia

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella body for pro-Iranian militias, announced on Tuesday evening that it has carried out 27 military operations against "enemy bases" in Iraq and the region since dawn.

It said in a statement that the operations involved "dozens of drones and missiles" targeting various installations throughout the day.