Ankara, Apr 15: US Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns held a phone call with Turkish National Intelligence Organisation Director Ibrahim Kalin and asked him to act as a mediator in the conflict between Israel and Iran, Turkish media reported.

Kalin and Burns also exchanged views on Gaza ceasefire negotiations, the TRT Haber broadcaster reported on Sunday.

After the meeting with his US counterpart, Kalin held negotiations with representatives of the Palestinian movement Hamas, the report added.

On Saturday night, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched over 300 drones and missiles at Israel in its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, according to IDF data. The attack came in response to Israel’s airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1. Israel Defence Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said that Israel had intercepted 99 per cent of the aerial targets fired by Iran, including all drones.

UNI