Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has expressed hopes during a phone call with US president-elect Donald Trump that he would keep his “promises to work towards ending wars” in the Middle East, AFP reports.

Amid Israel’s operations in Gaza and Lebanon, Sudani — who was named premier by a majority bloc of Iran-backed political factions — has been in a delicate balancing act to ensure his country is not drawn into the fighting.

In the phone call, the Iraqi premier pointed to Trump’s “campaign statements and promises to work towards ending wars in the region”, a statement from Sudani’s office said on late Friday.

“The two sides agreed to coordinate efforts in achieving this goal,” it added. About 2,500 American troops are deployed in Iraq as part of a US-led coalition that was formed to help battle the Islamic State group.