BAGHDAD, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- In a phone call with Iraqi President Barham Salih, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday confirmed the UN's support for Iraq's stability and urged for restraint in dealing with crises.

A statement by Salih's office said that during the call, the two sides discussed "the position of the international community towards the latest regional and international developments."

"The UN expressed its deep concern about the escalation that threatens the global peace and security, and stressed the need for restraint and resort to wisdom when dealing with crises," according to the statement.

For his part, Salih affirmed that he is keen to make Iraq "an arena and a base for harmony and regional and international peace, and to distance it from conflicts," the statement said.

The phone call came two days after the Iraqi parliament passed a resolution requiring the government to end the presence of foreign forces in Iraq and prevent them from using Iraqi airspace and waters.

On Friday, a U.S. drone struck a convoy at Baghdad International Airport, killing Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces.

More than 5,000 U.S. troops have been deployed in Iraq to support the Iraqi forces in the battles against Islamic State militants, mainly providing training and advising for the Iraqi forces.