On Tuesday, Iran launched several hundred ballistic missiles toward Israel in response to the killings of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, and senior IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoushan. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that his government was not seeking a war with Israel but would confront any threat in a resolute manner.
"For the sake of peace and stability in the region and the world, all sides should halt the ongoing confrontation and prioritize diplomacy," Mousavian said, adding that the Middle East is close to a regional conflict.
Israel interpreted Iran's restraint after the assassination of Haniyeh as a weakness, Mousavian said.
Mousavian pointed out that an Israeli commander suggested attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities, which would be a strategic mistake that will lead to Iran transitioning from a "Threshold Nuclear State" to becoming a "Nuclear State."
President Joe Biden told reporters on Wednesday that he does not support any retaliatory strikes on nuclear sites in Iran. The president previewed that the US will impose new sanctions on Iran in response to Tuesday's attack against Israel.
Biden added that the US and its G7 partners agree that Israel has the right to respond, but they should respond "proportionally."
Over the last few months, Mousavian has suggested three recommendations to resolving the crisis in the Middle East, including an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and the immediate withdrawal of Gaza by Israel; a ceasefire between Iran and Israel; and the start of comprehensive talks between Iran and the United States.
Hossein Askari, former IMF Executive Board member and special adviser to the Saudi finance minister, told Sputnik the United States is responsible for the unrest destabilizing the Middle East and may receive much blowback over it.
Iran has been put in a corner by Israel's provocations and the United States' unquestioned support for the Jewish state, Askari added.
"It is simply stupid and dangerous for a country [the United States] to give another [Israel] a carte blanche to raise havoc with the promise that it will always come to its rescue - with arms, money, intelligence, political support - and if needed with its own military," Askari said. "This is America's war as much as it is Israel's."
Israel and the United States had warned that there would be serious consequences for Iran if it carried out a retaliatory attack against Israel. Iran also gave a similar warning to Israel should it decide to counter its retaliatory attack.
Iran refrained for several months from conducting a retaliatory attack against Israel over the assassination of Haniyeh in July. Tehran held out in order to give Gaza ceasefire talks a chance which seems to have reached another stalemate as Israel expands its military operation into Lebanon.