Sri Lanka, March 2 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke Monday with four key leaders of Persian Gulf states, warning of the danger that the US and Israeli attacks on Iran could escalate into a regional conflict.

After Putin's conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Kremlin said "both sides expressed serious concern about the real risk of the expansion of the conflict zone, which has already affected the territories of a number of Arab countries and is fraught with catastrophic consequences."

Putin stressed the need for diplomacy to address an "extremely dangerous situation," while the crown prince said Moscow could play a stabilizing role thanks to its good relations with both Iran and the gulf countries.

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