Iranian, Russian presidents discuss Geneva II conference by phone TEHRAN, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed in a phone talk about the upcoming Geneva II conference slated for later this month, semi-official Fars news agency reported Friday. During Thursday's phone conversation, the Iranian and Russian presidents underlined the need for resolving the ongoing crisis in Syria in the upcoming conference in Switzerland, the report said without giving further details. On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham reiterated that Iran does not accept any preconditions for it to take part in the upcoming conference on Syria crisis in Geneva. Earlier this week, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Iran would have to commit itself to the Geneva Communique in order to participate in the upcoming peace conference on Syria. Tehran has not supported the Geneva communique in June 2012 which called for a transitional government in Syria.