(Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian noted on Sunday that escalation of the situation and "provocative acts" could boost tension in the Middle East, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

       "It was noted that a further escalation of tensions in the region and new, dangerous provocative actions could lead to a boost in tensions in the Middle East," the ministry said of a telephone call between the two ministers.

       "Preventing such scenarios and removing their primary reasons must be a priority matter for the U.N. Security Council."

       (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)