Riyadh

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iran's President, Ebrahim Raisi, held their first phone call since the landmark restoration of ties between the Sunni and Shia powerhouses of West Asia in March.

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The two leaders reportedly discussed the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and delved upon prevailing situation in Gaza following massive retaliation by Israel.

The Saudi Crown Prince also spoke by phone on Wednesday (Oct 11) with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during which the 38-year-old he was "exerting unremitting efforts through regional and international communication to achieve coordination that pushes for a halt of the current escalation".

Iran-backed Hamas militant group launched a sudden attack on Israel last weekend which so far has claimed nearly 1,200 lives in Israel while more than 1,100 are reported to have been killed in Gaza.

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Hostage crisis in spotlight

Concerns have grown regarding the fate of over 150 hostages, mainly Israelis, along with foreign and dual nationals, held by Hamas in Gaza. But in the first sign of ease of the hostage crisis, Hamas on October 11 said it had released an Israeli mother and two children who were held as captives by the militant groups.

The ongoing war has put pressure on the potential normalisation deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which has been driven by the US President Joe Biden's administration.

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Also read | Iran, Saudi Arabia restore ties as China-brokered deal outfoxes West

The deal includes security guarantees and assistance in developing a civilian nuclear programme in exchange for Saudi support.

Saudi Arabia and Iran restored diplomatic ties in March, ending a seven-year thaw, with China playing a pivotal role in brokering the deal.

Also watch | Hamas' off-the-shelf drone damages Israel's high-tech infrastructure

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During his conversation with Erdogan, the Crown Prince reportedly underscored the need for talks between parties concerned through regional and international channels in order to halt the ongoing escalation of the state of war in and beyond Israel.

(With inputs from agencies)

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