Iran's President-elect Ebrahim Raisi said there are no obstacles standing in the way of restoring ties with Saudi Arabia, indicating his willingness to mend a fractured relationship with Riyadh.

Iran PressIran news: Speaking at a news conference on Monday - his first since winning Iran's presidential elections -Raisi said that his administration would be open to restoring ties with Riyadh and opening diplomatic offices.

"There are no obstacles from Iran's side to reopening embassies… there are no obstacles to ties with Saudi Arabia," he said.

Over the last few months, diplomats from the two countries are reported to have held talks in an effort to defuse tensions.

In April, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - sometimes known as MBS - said he hoped to establish "a good and special relationship with Iran", in remarks that were said to have come after one of the meetings in Iraq. 

"We want Iran to grow... and to push the region and the world towards prosperity," MBS said at the time. 

While the crown prince did not confirm negotiations had taken place between Riyadh and Tehran, his comments did mark a major change in tone, moving away from its US-supported accusations that the Islamic Republic had fuelled regional insecurity.

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