Pandor called Iran to talk restraint and Gaza. Iran only heard one part of that

When Iran launched a wave of drones and missiles at Israel a week ago in response to a presumed Israeli attack on its embassy compound in Damascus, South Africa was among the many countries that called for restraint and peace.

SA's position differed from that of Israel's Western allies in one key respect: it laid the blame on Israel, maintaining that the repression of Palestinians was at the heart of instability in the Middle East. Iran, International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor said subsequently, was not the aggressor. But the focus had to be on peace.

When Pandor spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Saturday, though, Iran apparently heard a truncated version of the message.