Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump have held a lengthy phone call to discuss the escalating situation in the Middle East and Ukraine peace talks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump discussed the escalating crisis between Israel and Iran in a roughly hour-long phone call on Saturday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called President Donald Trump to wish him a happy birthday and speak about the escalating conflict in the Middle East on Saturday. Putin spoke with Trump about the Russian president’s conversations with the leaders of Iran and Israel as tensions heat up.

Israeli stocks dropped on their first day of trading after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government began airstrikes against Iran. Saudi Arabia’s equity benchmark slid as concerns of a wider conflict gripped the region.

Global airlines on Friday cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran and other Middle East destinations, or rerouted planes, as airspaces were shut off following Israeli strikes on Iran.Emirates, the Middle East's largest airline,

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain is moving additional military assets, including fighter jets, to the Middle East to provide support across the region, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters on Saturday as he was en route to a Group of Seven meeting in Canada.

The UK is moving additional fighter jets and other military aircraft to the Middle East, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Saturday, after Iran threatened to attack British bases in the region if they assisted Israel.

More RAF jets are being sent to the Middle East amid intense fighting between Israel and Iran, the prime minister has said. Sir Keir Starmer said the military aircraft were being sent "for contingency support across the region".