King Salman of Saudi Arabia has held a discussion with Iraqi president Berham Saleh to discuss the importance of de-escalating tensions in the wake of a US airstrike which killed Iranian general Qassem Suleimani in Baghdad, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
According to the SPA, King Salman told the Iraqi leader that Saudi Arabia supports Iraq’s stability and security.
The phone call between the two leaders comes amid growing calls for mediation and negotiations between the United States and Iran following a series of violent incidents which culminated in Suleimani’s death in Baghdad.
On Friday, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash tweeted that “in light of the rapid regional developments, it is necessary to put wisdom, balance and political solutions above confrontation and escalation.”
في ظل التطورات الإقليمية المتسارعة لا بد من تغليب الحكمة والاتزان وتغليب الحلول السياسية على المواجهة والتصعيد، القضايا التي تواجهها المنطقة معقدة ومتراكمة وتعاني من فقدان الثقة بين الأطراف، والتعامل العقلاني يتطلب مقاربة هادئة وخالية من الإنفعال.
— د. أنور قرقاش (@AnwarGargash) January 3, 2020
“The region has been facing complicated issues, and suffers from a loss of confidence between parties,” he wrote. “This situation requires adopting a rational approach that is free of emotions.”
On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron also discussed the developing situation with Iraqi president Saleh, as well as with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
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