BAGHDAD, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and French President Emmanuel Macron held phone talks Friday to discuss regional developments following an attack that killed a French soldier in northern Iraq.

Al-Sudani expressed regret over the casualties among French service members in Erbil province, who are part of the international coalition to fight against the Islamic State militants, a statement by his media office said.

He affirmed that an investigation will be conducted and "necessary measures will be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents."

Al-Sudani also reiterated Iraq's rejection of "blatant aggression" that violated Iraqi sovereignty, referring to strikes that resulted in the death of service members of the paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces.

He said Iraq is making every effort to achieve a ceasefire and end the war that "threatens the stability and security of the region in the long term."

For his part, Macron affirmed his support for regional and international efforts aimed at stopping the war and preventing the deterioration of the security situation.

Earlier on Friday, Macron confirmed in a post on X that a French soldier "died for France during an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq," noting that several others were wounded.

The call came following heightened tensions after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran starting Feb. 28, to which Iran and its allied groups responded with attacks on Israeli and U.S. interests across the Middle East. ■