Saudi foreign minister, US secretary of state discuss regional issues

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the latest regional developments in a phone call on Saturday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.

The statement, posted on the US social media company X, highlighted the importance of "continuing coordination and joint consultation to achieve security and stability in the region."

No further details were revealed regarding the content of the discussions.

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated after the US and Israel began strikes on Iran in late February. In response, Tehran retaliated with strikes on Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets, including Saudi Arabia.

In mid-June, Iran and the US reached a Pakistan-brokered memorandum of understanding aimed at ending their military conflict and reaching a lasting peace agreement.

However, both sides exchanged attacks over the last few days amid an escalation following Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran launched a series of strikes Thursday on US military infrastructure in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan in retaliation for a second consecutive night of US attacks.