WASHINGTON — Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, concluding his first official visit to the United States, urged a swift end to the war in Yemen, telling a Washington audience April 16 that the conflict there was creating "fallout" and deepening an already serious sectarian divide in the Middle East.

At the same time, Abadi, appearing at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), tried to smooth over criticism of Saudi Arabia for its bombing campaign against Houthi forces in Yemen. A day earlier, the Iraqi prime minister infuriated the Saudi government by telling a small group of US journalists that “there is no logic to the [Saudi] operation at all in the first place.”

Abadi tacked on to his prepared remarks at CSIS an explanation for his criticism. “I feel very free to talk to regional leaders, including [Saudi] King Salman [bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud],” he said, adding that he was happy to hear that the Saudis have finally appointed an ambassador to Baghdad. At the same time, the Iraqi leader said, “We have our own opinion. … An end to this war in Yemen must be very soon and the only way forward is a political solution by the Yemenis themselves.”

Questioned later, however, Abadi could not or would not name the new Saudi ambassador or say when he would arrive. Abadi did not answer a question about whether he had spoken directly to Salman or other Saudi officials about the flap over his Yemen remarks.