Obama and Saudi king discuss "ISIL threat"

Obama and Saudi king discuss "ISIL threat"

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Barack Obama and Saudi King Abdullah have discussed the current situation in Iraq in a telephone conversation.

According to the White House, they spoke about "the threat that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) poses to the stability of Iraq and to the entire region."

According to reports, Obama and the Saudi king "reaffirmed the need for Iraq's leaders to move expeditiously to form a new government capable of uniting all of Iraq's diverse communities."

The ISIL militants have gained control over parts of Iraq and Syria, and according to the UN, more than 2,400 people died in the fighting in Iraq over the past month, the highest death toll in that country in several years.

According to Reuters, Obama "thanked the Saudi king for his USD 500 million pledge to help Iraqis displaced by an upsurge in violence."