During the phone conversation between the Presidents of Russia and the United States, the dangerous escalation in the Middle East was naturally at the center of their exchange of views, said Yuri Ushakov, aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Interfax.

“Vladimir Putin, while condemning Israel’s military operation against Iran, expressed serious concern about the potential for further escalation of the conflict, which could have unpredictable consequences for the overall situation in the Middle East region,” Ushakov said.

Trump also assessed the situation in the Middle East as highly alarming but acknowledged the effectiveness of Israel’s strikes on targets in Iran.

“Notably, despite the sharply deteriorated situation, the Russian and American presidents do not rule out a return to the negotiating track on the Iranian nuclear program,” Ushakov told journalists.

Putin also congratulated Donald Trump on his birthday—Trump turned 79 today.

“Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the personal relationship they’ve established, which allows them to communicate in a businesslike manner and seek solutions to pressing bilateral and international issues, no matter how complex those may be,” Ushakov said. “By the way, Vladimir Putin noted that today the United States is celebrating Flag Day and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. As in their previous conversation, both presidents acknowledged the brotherhood in arms during World War II.”