Russia, Iran and Turkey are in "close contact" over the conflict in Syria, Moscow said Wednesday, after a shock offensive has seen Islamist-led rebels capture the second-largest city of Aleppo. "The foreign ministers of the three guarantor countries — Russia,

Russia has conducted major air strikes on rebels in Syria after insurgents led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group swept into Aleppo in what is the biggest challenge to its ally President Bashar al-Assad in years.

The recent rapid advance by opposition fighters in Syria shows that Syrian President Bashar Assad must reconcile with his own people and hold dialogue with the opposition, the Turkish foreign minister said Monday.