People walk past a poster of senior Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in downtown Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 5, 2020. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held a phone conversation with Iranian army's Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri to discuss the aftermath of the U.S. killing of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday.
During the conversation, the military leaders discussed practical steps to prevent the escalation of tensions in the Middle East after Soleimani's death, the ministry's broadcasting service said.
Soleimani, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Quds Force, was killed in a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad International Airport on Jan. 3.
Iran's top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed "tough revenge" for the deadly attack.
