Vatican urges Iran to exercise restraint amid 'serious concern'

The Vatican has urged Iran to exercise restraint in the face of the threat of a conflagration in the Middle East.

In a telephone conversation with the new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin expressed the Holy See's "serious concern about what is happening in the Middle East," according to a statement issued on Monday.

In the conversation, the Vatican's chief diplomat reiterated the need to avoid an escalation of the conflict and to focus instead on dialogue, negotiations and peace.

Fears of an all-out regional war have grown following the targeted killings of two leading figures, one from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and the other from the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia.

Iran and Hezbollah announced they would undertake massive retaliatory strikes against Israel in response to the killings. The Israeli armed forces have been on high alert for days.

The United States, Israel's most important ally, has brought additional warships and fighter jets to the region, further strengthening its presence there.