BAGHDAD, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hakim on Tuesday held a phone call with his German counterpart Heiko Maas over bilateral ties and regional tensions amid spiraling U.S.-Iran dispute.
A statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said that the two sides discussed issues of mutual interest and exchanged views on a number of issues, including the crises in the Middle East and the necessity to present effective political solutions.
They asserted the need for "initiatives aimed at ending the conflict and achieving security and stability in this sensitive region," the statement said.
The phone call came amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran.
On June 8, Maas paid an official visit to Iraq and met with Iraqi President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi over bilateral ties and tensions in the region.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have been on the rise since U.S. President Donald Trump decided not to re-issue sanctions waivers to major importers of Iranian oil when they expired in early May.
Later, Washington accuses Tehran of being behind several attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf, but Iran has refuted the claims.
