Turkish, Iranian foreign ministers discuss latest developments in region

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Friday spoke over the phone to discuss the recent developments in the region, Turkish diplomatic sources said.

The sources said that the phone call was made at the request of the Iranian side, without sharing further information.

Earlier, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said it is "closely" monitoring the recent developments in the region, and called on all parties to refrain from steps that could lead to a wider conflict.

"In light of the latest developments, it is becoming increasingly evident that the tensions that were initially caused by Israel's illegal attack on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus risk turning into a permanent conflict," a ministry statement said.

The priority of the international community should be "to stop the massacre in Gaza and to ensure lasting peace in our region by establishing a Palestinian state," it added.

Tension escalated between Iran and Israel on Saturday after Tehran launched a drone and missile attack in response to the April 1 attack on its consulate in Syria, which killed seven Iranian military officers, including two top-ranking commanders.

According to US media reports, Israel carried out a "limited strike" inside Iran early Friday morning. There have been no official comments from Israel yet.