ANKARA, June 15. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan engaged in a second telephone call with US President Donald Trump over the weekend, focusing on the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.

In a statement, Erdogan expressed appreciation for Trump's recent remarks urging an end to the hostilities and the pursuit of regional peace. He emphasized the urgency of taking immediate action to prevent a catastrophe that could ignite the entire region. Erdogan reiterated Turkey's stance that the only viable path to resolving Iran's nuclear issue is through diplomacy, reaffirming Turkey's readiness to contribute and assist in this effort.

The Turkish leader also highlighted the destructive spiral of violence initiated by Israel's attacks on Iran, noting the irreversible economic and civilian toll on both sides. He warned that this dangerous trend must be curtailed to avoid further devastation.

This conversation between Erdogan and Trump marks their second discussion on regional tensions within the past few days, the first having taken place on Saturday.

Earlier, Trump expressed confidence that peace would soon be established between Iran and Israel. On his Truth Social page, he noted that meetings and telephone conversations were currently being held to this end. According to Trump, Iran and Israel should reach agreements to cease hostilities.

On June 13, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, targeting Iran's nuclear program. Less than 24 hours later, Tehran launched a retaliatory attack. On June 14 and in the early hours of June 15, Israel and Iran exchanged strikes again. Both sides reported casualties, acknowledged hits on a number of targets on their territory, but said the damage was limited.