ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Monday received an official invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the Russia-Arab summit scheduled for October 15.

The summit, the first of its kind between Russia and Arab nations, sees all Arab League states and the organization's secretary general invited to Russia for a meeting, with Moscow seeking to strengthen its ties in the Middle East and North Africa.

During the phone call, the two leaders discussed the latest regional and international developments, coming as tensions continue to rise across the Middle East amid the escalating Iran-Israel conflict and the involvement of the United States. 

According to a statement from Sudani’s office, the prime minister strongly rejected what he called Israeli aggression against Iran and condemned recent US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. He also criticized violations of Iraqi airspace by American and Israeli aircraft.

The statement said that Sudani emphasized "the need for the United Nations Security Council to fulfill its core responsibility in halting the war and intensifying diplomatic efforts," though noting that trust in negotiations has been damaged by Israeli and US attacks.

The two leaders also spoke about the ongoing war in Gaza. Sudani said the violence amounts to genocide and urged the international community to act to stop the bloodshed and help civilians in need.

President Putin agreed on the need to reduce tensions and said he is working to help ease the crisis. He also praised Iraq’s role in trying to prevent the conflict from spreading and expressed support for Iraq’s sovereignty.

The call also covered ways to improve ties between Iraq and Russia, especially in oil and gas cooperation through the OPEC+ group.

At the end of the call, Putin officially invited Iraq to take part in the upcoming Russia-Arab summit. After announcing the summit in May, Putin said in a statement, "I am confident that this meeting will contribute to the further strengthening of mutually beneficial, multifaceted cooperation between our countries and will help in finding ways to ensure peace, security, and stability in the Middle East and North Africa."