Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has urged US President Donald Trump to prioritise diplomacy and prevent the Middle East from sliding into a broader regional conflict, as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the two leaders spoke by telephone on Saturday, with the crown prince stressing the need to reduce tensions through dialogue and to make “all possible efforts” to achieve de-escalation and create the conditions for a diplomatic solution.

He warned that preventing a wider conflict was essential to preserving regional security and stability and avoiding consequences that could affect both the Middle East and the wider international community.

The leaders also reviewed Saudi-US cooperation and discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties, SPA said.

Separately, Axios, citing US officials and sources familiar with the conversation, reported that the Saudi crown prince expressed concern over Trump’s reported plans for large-scale military strikes against Iran and urged him to avoid further escalation.

According to the report, Saudi officials sought clarification on Washington’s military plans, while Mohammed bin Salman encouraged Trump to pursue de-escalation rather than launch fresh attacks.

The White House and the Saudi embassy in Washington declined to comment on the Axios report.

The developments come as Trump weighs possible strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure in response to Iran’s missile attack on a US base in Jordan and continued disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has warned that any new US military action would trigger retaliatory attacks on energy and infrastructure facilities in Israel and Gulf Arab states.

Trump said late on Saturday that he had cancelled planned military strikes after Iran and several other Middle Eastern countries requested additional time to finalise the framework of a peace agreement.

He also claimed that Israel had joined the commitment to pursue diplomacy.

Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of several regional powers, alongside Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Pakistan, that are pressing both Washington and Tehran to de-escalate the crisis and avoid a wider regional war.