Saudi King, Crown Prince discuss ramifications of events with Iraqi leadership

Saudi Arabia's King Salman rang Iraqi President Berham Saleh on Saturday to discuss the importance of de-escalating regional tensions, the Saudi news agency reported, after Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani was killed in a US air strike. The king told Saleh that Saudi Arabia supports the stability and security of Iraq.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi discussed the situation in his country and in the wider region with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday, his office said.

"Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi received a phone call from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in which they discussed the difficult conditions facing Iraq and the region," Abdul Mahdi's office said in a statement.

"They exchanged points of view on the expected ramifications and the importance of mitigating their effects as well as avoiding total escalation."

King Salman discusses with Iraqi president need to de-escalate regional tensions.