Japan FM asks Iran to exercise restraint against 'Israel'

Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke over the phone for about half an hour on Wednesday, NHK reported.

Iran has declared it wants to take revenge on Israel over the assassination of a Hamas political leader, martyr Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran in July. 

But Iran has indicated that it will decide on the time and method of retaliation after carefully seeing how talks progress between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

According to NHK, Kamikawa said the escalation of the situation would not be in the interest of the region or the international community. She urged Iran to exercise restraint saying that every diplomatic effort should be made to avoid further tensions.

Kamikawa also called on Iran to urge groups it has influence over, including Lebanon's Hezbollah, to exercise restraint.

Araghchi said Iran did not want to escalate the current situation in West Asia.

The foreign ministers confirmed that Japan and Iran would maintain communication based on their traditional friendly relationship.

Kamikawa told reporters after the phone call that while maintaining a sense of urgency, utmost diplomatic efforts will be made to ease tensions.