TEHRAN, April 27 (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says that the Israeli regime is the root cause of the deterioration of the situation in the region.The top Iranian diplomat made the remarks in a phone conversation with his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel.

During the phone conversation, the two Iranian and Portuguese foreign ministers discussed a range of regional issues, including the situation in Palestine, as well as the bilateral relations between Tehran and Lisbon.

Referring to the ongoing Israeli war in the besieged Gaza Strip, Amir-Abdollahian reiterated Iran's call for ending the war and genocide in Gaza and respecting the rights of the oppressed Palestinian people.

Rangel, for his part, urged an end to the war in the coastal sliver, stressing, "The Portuguese government supports the formation of an independent Palestinian state and calls for the efforts of all countries in the region to reduce tensions in the region." The two sides also held talks on the issue of the seized Portuguese-flagged Israeli ship.

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