ANKARA - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken in a call on Sunday that Ankara was worried about the potential spread and escalation of the crisis in the Middle East after Iran's attacks on Israel, a Turkish diplomatic source said.

Fidan told Blinken that the root cause of the crisis in the region was the war in Gaza, and that an immediate ceasefire and unhindered access of humanitarian aid was needed in the enclave, the source said.

Fidan also urged countries with influence over Israel to send the "correct messages" to prevent further escalating regional tensions, the source added. REUTERS