Iraq's foreign minister offered Wednesday to act as a mediator between its neighbors Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Those relations became further strained in the past week with the Saudi execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric, angry protesters storming the Saudi embassy in Tehran and Saudi Arabia's subsequent decision to cut off diplomatic ties with Iran.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said during a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif that Iraq's placement in the region brings a role in alleviating the tensions.
Russia has also offered to act as a mediator, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has been speaking with both Zarif and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.
U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday that Kerry talked by phone with multiple Iranian and Saudi leaders to try to "restore some sense of calm," urge them to use dialogue and keep in mind there are other pressing issues in the region, including the situations in Syria and Yemen.