Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad Mohammad Kazem Ale-Sadegh in a Sunday meeting that his country views continued diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions between Iran and the US as very important, according to a statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

Hussein said a peaceful solution to the Iran-US confrontation could contribute to reducing tensions and enhancing stability in the region, according to the statement, published by the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

“The Minister affirmed that peaceful solutions and dialogue represent the best option for resolving crises in a way that preserves the security of the region's countries and the interests of their peoples,” it said.

INA said Hussein and Ale-Sadegh discussed the latest developments as part of the regional diplomatic push to reduce tensions between Iran and the US.

It said Ale-Sadegh also submitted a message to Hussein from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi during the meeting.

The meeting comes amid ongoing efforts by countries in the region, including Pakistan, Turkey, and Qatar, to reopen diplomatic channels between Iran and the US, weeks after a deal between the two countries aimed at ending the US-Israeli aggression on Iran collapsed.

The deal, signed between the presidents of Iran and the US in mid-June, unraveled after Iran said the US had not honored its commitments regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy corridor in the Persian Gulf, which Iran has tightly controlled since the early days of the war in March.

Iran has indicated it is ready to reopen Hormuz once the US lifts its sanctions and blockade on the country.