Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met on Thursday with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss bilateral relations and recent regional developments.

The two ministers reviewed cooperation between the two countries and topics of mutual interest, addressing the latest developments in the region, particularly in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon said Qatar’s Foreign Ministry in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Qatari minister emphasized the need for “concerted regional and international efforts to reduce escalation and avoid the expansion of the circle of violence in the region,” the statement said.