ANKARA

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday held separate phone calls with his Azerbaijani and South Korean counterparts amid the ongoing US-Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran's retaliatory attacks in the Middle East.

According to Turkish diplomatic sources, Fidan spoke with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun.

During the phone calls, the foreign ministers exchanged views on steps that could be taken to reduce the ongoing tension in the region.

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 people, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military officials.

In response, Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as other countries in the region, including those that host US bases.