BRUSSELS, March 31 (Xinhua) -- European Council President Antonio Costa said on Tuesday that he has made a phone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and called for de-escalation, restraint and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Middle East.

In a post on X, Costa, describing the situation in the region as "extremely dangerous," stressed the need for all parties to fully respect international law.

Costa also stressed the need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Referring to the Feb. 28 strike on a school in Minab, which occurred during U.S. operations targeting a nearby Iranian military base, he said the loss of innocent lives was "deeply regrettable."

Preliminary findings from an ongoing U.S. military investigation suggest that a U.S. Tomahawk missile struck the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, southern Iran, killing at least 165 people, mostly schoolgirls, and injuring dozens more.

The European Council president also said he had encouraged Iran to engage on the diplomatic track, notably with the United Nations to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping route of 20 percent of world's oil.

"There must be space for diplomacy," Costa wrote, adding that the European Union stood ready to contribute to diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions and reaching a lasting solution to end the hostilities.

There is no comment so far on the phone talks from the Iranian side.

Ongoing tensions in the Middle East, triggered by joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, have now entered their fifth week with no clear resolution in sight.

In a major escalation, Iran has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, allowing only ships it considers non-hostile to pass. This maritime squeeze, along with damage to regional energy facilities, has pushed oil prices higher, keeping Brent Crude above 100 U.S. dollars a barrel and up more than 50 percent since the war began.

Latest data showed that euro area annual inflation is expected to rise to 2.5 percent in March from 1.9 percent in February.