Iran: Tehran open to resuming ties with Saudi Arabia

TEHRAN, Iran

Iran's president on Tuesday said Tehran has no objection to resuming ties with Saudi Arabia in a bid to maintain security and stability in the region.

Speaking during a meeting with Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi in the Iranian capital Tehran, Hassan Rouhani said: "We believe all countries should stand by each other in order to establish security and stability in the region."

Alawi had visited Tehran to address Iran's Hormuz Peace Endeavor to help bring calm to the region, according to the official Iranian news agency IRNA.

"From Iran’s point of view, there is no problem in developing ties with neighbors and resuming relations with Saudi Arabia," Rouhani said, adding: "All countries require to stay together in order to create peace and stability in the region."

"We must all help put an end to the war and conflict in Yemen more quickly" he stressed, urging Yemeni-Yemeni talks.

For his part, Alawi said Iran's initiative for peace in Hormuz was "in the interest of security and stability of the countries in the region."

Recently, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that the full text of the proposal of the peace initiative in the Strait of Hormuz -- launched by Rouhani -- would be sent to the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Iraq.

At the UN General Assembly meeting earlier this year, Tehran said the Hormuz Peace Endeavor sought to "promote peace for all people" and "launching collective action to secure energy supplies and navigation freedom."

Tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran has mounted recently after attacks on two oil facilities of Aramco, an attack for which Riyadh and Washington held Tehran responsible, which the country has denied.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara