MOSCOW

Azerbaijani and Russian presidents advocated a speedy resolution of the conflict in the Middle East through political and diplomatic means, according to a Kremlin statement on Wednesday.

During a telephone conversation, Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev for the effective assistance in organizing the evacuation of Russian citizens from Iran, as well as for facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid from Russia to the Iranian people via Azerbaijani territory, the statement said.

"While exchanging views on the current situation in the Middle East region, the leaders spoke in favor of a swift cessation of hostilities and the resolution of the current acute conflict through political and diplomatic means," it noted.

Regional tensions escalated since Israel and the US launched joint strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, which have killed more than 1200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Tehran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and several Gulf countries hosting US military assets.

Iran also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz around March 1. The strategic waterway normally handles about 20 million barrels of oil shipments daily and roughly 20% of the global liquefied natural gas trade.