Iran welcomes Saudi desire to restore ties

Iran's foreign minister on Saturday welcomed recent comments by Saudi Arabia's crown prince about relations between the two regional powers as a sign of Riyadh's desire to restore severed ties.

"The recent remarks of a high-ranking Saudi official show their desire to establish bilateral relations with Iran, and we welcome that," Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told IRNA.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in an interview published on Thursday that his country and Iran were "neighbors forever".

"We cannot get rid of them, and they can't get rid of us," he said, according to AFP.

"So it's better for both of us to work it out and to look for ways in which we can coexist," he added, expressing hope that "we can reach a position that's good for both countries".

The two regional neighbors have held four rounds of talks in Iraq since April aimed at improving relations.

"These talks created a good atmosphere and brought results, albeit small ones, and we are pleased that Saudi Arabia has taken the path of dialogue," Iran's top diplomat said.

"We have different views and approaches on some issues in the region, but appropriate handling of differences by the sides can serve the interests of the two nations," he added.

Source: Iran Daily