BAGHDAD, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday called for enhancing security and stability of the region.
A statement by al-Kadhimi media office said al-Kadhimi received a phone call from Rouhani, in which they discussed means to develop bilateral relations at various levels and praised the efforts to enhance security and stability of the region.
The two leaders called on "all actors in the region to enhance calm through wisdom in dealing with regional crises and challenges," the statement said.
They also agreed that "dialogue is the only way to solve conflicts and crises in the region."
Rouhani also "condemned all activities committed by some groups that disturb the security of Iraq," the statement said, referring to the recent rocket attacks targeting military bases housing U.S. forces across Iraq as well as the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.
The Iraq-U.S. relations have been strained since Jan. 3, 2020, when a U.S. drone struck a convoy at the Baghdad airport, killing Qassem Soleimani, then commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces.
U.S. troops have been deployed in Iraq to support the Iraqi forces in the battles against the Islamic State militants, mainly providing training and advising to the Iraqi forces.