title: Russian, Iranian presidents discuss Iraqi Kurdish vote - Rouhani's office
text: LONDON (Reuters) - Russian President Putin and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani discussed the Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum and the Syrian civil war in a telephone call, a senior Iranian official was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.  Assessing the current situation in the region, especially in Iraq and Syria, was the main focus of the two leaders,  Hamid Aboutalebi, Rouhani s deputy chief of staff of for political affairs, said.  They stressed on the necessity of maintaining the unity of Iraq and security and stability in the region,  he added. 