EU foreign policy chief, Saudi foreign minister discuss tension in Middle East

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The EU foreign policy chief and the Saudi foreign minister on Thursday spoke over the phone to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East.

"Timely call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on latest developments in the Middle East. Shared sense of urgency to work together on de-escalation and find a sustainable way out of the crisis," Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said on X.

Borrell stressed that the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council Security Forum in Luxemburg is a "good occasion" to take this forward.

The tension is running high in the Middle East as Iran on Saturday launched an airborne attack on Israel in retaliation for an April 1 airstrike on its diplomatic compound in the Syrian capital.

It reportedly fired more than 300 drones and missiles, with almost all intercepted by the air defense systems of Israel and its allies – the US, France and the UK.

Iran claimed that some targets were hit. Israel, in turn, said it would respond to Iran's attack.