US calls for an end to Iran-Iraq fighting

The White House Wednesday called for an immediate end to hostilities betwen Iran and Iraq, and said the United States is prepared to consult with other Persian Gulf states on steps to ''support their security.''

In a formal statement, White House deputy press secretary Larry Speakes repeated that the US is neutral in the Iran-Iraq war and stated its opposition to the seizure of any territory by force. State Department officials said the US had no clear assessment of Iran's military objective. Iraq's resistance, they added, did not appear as fierce as Iraqi communiques might suggest.