Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and US Defense Secretary Mark Esper discussed the situation in the Middle East amid the ongoing crisis in Iran-US relations, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th January, 2020) Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and US Defense Secretary Mark Esper discussed the situation in the middle East amid the ongoing crisis in Iran-US relations, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.
"Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper held phone talks on January 10, 2020," the ministry said in a statement.
"The situation in the Middle East region was discussed," the statement said.
The situation in the Middle East sharply escalated in the first days of 2020 following the killing of Iran's Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani outside Baghdad by a US airstrike. Tehran responded with missile strikes on the US military bases in Iraq in retaliation for the assassination.
The situation has slightly de-escalated since Wednesday, as US President Donald Trump announced his plans to target Iran with sanctions, not military force, while Tehran vowed to refrain from further strikes if Washington does not attack the Islamic Republic.
