MOSCOW, Apr 04 (AFP/Reuters): Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East war during a phone call on Friday, the Kremlin said.
The war started over a month ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, triggering a conflict throughout the Middle East that has convulsed the global economy and impacted millions of people worldwide.
"The leaders noted their shared positions on the need for an immediate ceasefire and the development of compromise peace agreements that take into account the legitimate interests of all states in the region," a Kremlin statement said.
"It was noted that intense military action is leading to serious negative consequences not only regionally but also globally, including in the areas of energy, trade, and logistics," it added.
Putin and Erdogan also discussed "the importance of coordinated measures to comprehensively ensure security in the Black Sea area," Kremlin said, accusing Ukraine of "attempts to target gas transportation infrastructure linking Russia and Turkey".
On Thursday, Russian forces repelled a drone attack on part of the TurkStream gas pipeline that connects southern Russia and Turkey, the pipeline's operator Gazprom said.
Several European countries, including Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia, receive gas supplies via the pipeline.
Russia has accused Ukraine of attacking it multiple times, most recently in March.
Ukraine has struck Russian energy infrastructure throughout the nearly four-year war, in a bid to sap Moscow's ability to finance its offensive.
Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities have cut power and heating to millions of people since the beginning of its full-scale assault in 2022.
Iraq shuts key Shalamcheh trade
crossing with Iran after airstrikes
Meanwhile, Iraq closed the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran after airstrikes on the Iranian side killed an Iraqi citizen, security sources said on Saturday, shutting off a vital supply artery.
The crossing serves as one of the main routes for imports to Iraq of vegetables and other food supplies from Iran, traders and border officials say. Any prolonged disruption can quickly affect supplies to local markets.
The sources said at least five Iraqis were seriously wounded in the strikes, which hit a passenger reception area on the Iranian side.
Iraqi police recovered the body of a man, while the wounded were taken to hospital, most in critical condition.
Iraq's border authorities said they had been notified by Iranian officials that truck and passenger movement would be restored in the coming hours once work on the transit and passport systems is completed.
A few hours after the strikes near Shalamcheh, Iraqi border authorities also briefly halted movement at the Safwan crossing with Kuwait after reporting explosions on the Kuwaiti side, Iraqi security and border officials said.
The officials added they saw drones hovering overhead moments before the blasts.
Israel destroys east Lebanon
bridge, hits south Beirut
An Israeli strike destroyed a bridge in eastern Lebanon on Friday, state media reported, after Israel warned it would hit the site to prevent Hezbollah reinforcements crossing.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said a blast at one of its positions in the country's south near the border wounded three peacekeepers on Friday, the third similar incident in days.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 when the Tehran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel to avenge the US-Israeli attack that killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel has responded with massive strikes across Lebanon and a ground invasion in the country's south.
The state-run National News Agency said: "Israeli warplanes targeted the bridge that links Sohmor with Mashghara, leading to its destruction."
