US treads warily amid Iran-Saudi tensions

Followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr burn an effigy of King Salman of Saudi Arabia as they hold posters of Sheik Nimr al-Nimr during a demonstration in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Jan. 4, 2016. AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is treading warily around inflamed tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia that threaten several key U.S. foreign policy objectives.

A U.S. official said Monday that Secretary of State John Kerry had spoken with Iran’s foreign minister. The official Saudi Press Agency reported Kerry had also spoken with the Saudi crown prince. One U.S. official said Kerry’s message was to urge calm and warn against overreaction that some fear could lead to a sectarian war.

U.S. officials said the administration is loath to insert itself into the row between Riyadh and Tehran but wants to ensure the viability of the fight against the Islamic State group, nascent attempts to end Syria’s civil war and the Iran nuclear deal.

The officials requested anonymity to speak publicly about the call.