(MENAFN) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud spoke by phone Sunday to address recent developments across the Middle East and ongoing efforts to manage them.

According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the conversation also covered the state of bilateral relations between the two nations, though no additional specifics were released.

The region is currently facing multiple crises. Most notably, Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip—which has been described as genocidal—was paused after two years following a US-backed ceasefire mediated by Türkiye, Egypt, Qatar, and the US. The first phase of this ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, but Israeli violations persist.

Other flashpoints in the region include the continued conflict in Sudan and Israel’s intensifying assaults on southern Lebanon.

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