ANKARA

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday held a phone call with his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani, Turkish diplomatic sources said.

Fidan and Tajani discussed efforts to end the ongoing war in the Middle East, the sources added.

Regional escalation has flared since Israel and the US launched a joint attack against Iran on Feb. 28. Over 1,200 people have since been killed and thousands of others injured.

Tehran has refused to surrender and retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.