Italian President Sergio Mattarella called on Wednesday for an end to a “permanent state of war” in the Middle East, ANSA News Agency reported, citing sources at the Quirinal Palace, Anadolu reports.

During a phone call with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Mattarella said attacks targeting troops serving in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are ” unacceptable”.

Mattarella also underlined the importance of respecting freedom of navigation in international waters.

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, prompting retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as US allies in the Persian Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A cease-fire took effect. on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The ceasefire was later extended by US President Donald Trump without a fixed deadline.

On Sunday, Iran sent Pakistan its response to a US proposal to end the war, but Trump dismissed it as “totally unacceptable”.

Source: prizrenpost