Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud discussed recent regional developments and diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions in a telephone call, the IRNA and Saudi Press Agency reported on August 2.

The contact is a notable diplomatic signal at one of the tensest points between Tehran and Riyadh since they restored relations in 2023, coming days after Saudi Arabia acknowledged joining direct military action against Iranian-backed forces for the first time in the war between Iran and the United States.

US and Saudi forces struck Iran-backed militias in Iraq in late July, after Saudi Aramco suspended operations at its Abqaiq oil processing facility following a drone attack claimed by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement.

The two ministers exchanged views on the latest developments in light of the current situation and on diplomatic efforts to lower tensions, according to the report.

Prince Faisal reiterated the kingdom's commitment to continuing its regional role in promoting security and stability in a way that serves the shared interests of all the region's countries and peoples.

The call follows a sharp deterioration on the ground. Araghchi had condemned a Saudi-led coalition strike on Houthi targets in Yemen as an "incendiary precedent," and Houthi forces went on to hit the Jizan refinery and target the East-West pipeline that carries Saudi crude to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude rose above $100 per barrel in the days that followed, around a 40% rise over the course of July.

The Saudi foreign minister had earlier spoken by telephone with his Qatari and Jordanian counterparts about reducing tensions in the region.

Saudi Arabia and Iran restored diplomatic relations in March 2023 under a Chinese-brokered agreement, ending a seven-year rupture that began when Riyadh cut ties after protesters stormed Saudi missions in Iran in 2016.

In a conversation with US President Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged Washington to refrain from further strikes on Iran, Russian media covering the talks noted.

Trump later announced that he had called off the planned attack in favour of a possible agreement with Tehran, which he said would include opening the Strait of Hormuz and resolving the nuclear issue.

Iran has already been in discussions with other capitals on August 2, including Oman which it shares the Strait of Hormuz with and potentially will spilt administration of the narrow waterway.