Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi has expressed deep regret over the crash of a Ukrainian airline’s passenger plane in Tehran, which killed a number of Iranian citizens and foreign nationals, especially Ukrainians.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on Wednesday.

The United States continues to deploy and reposition troops throughout the region of Iraq and Iran to bolster U.S. security and force protection and to be prepared for any contingency, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said.