CAIRO - Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak yesterday held discussions o­n the showdown over Iraq and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Egyptian Information Minister Safwat al-Sherif said.

The two leaders discussed the "Iraqi crisis and its repercussions for the region in general as well as its impact o­n the world and Middle East economies," Sherif was quoted as saying by Egypt's state-run MENA news agency.

They "stressed the need to respect international resolutions, by both Iraq and the international community, in order to avoid a strike against this country," Sherif said.

Mahathir, who made no comments to the press after the talks, warned Monday that a war against Iraq would provoke Muslim rage and would broaden the ranks of terrorists.