Dubai: Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday announced that Tehran is fully ready for changes in its relations with Saudi Arabia on regional issues.

“If there is a serious will in Saudi official, Iran is fully ready for the change in the current climate of bilateral relations so that it meets the interests of both countries,” spokesman Hussain Jaber Ansari said.

The improvement of bilateral ties can pave the way for adaptation of serious measures to settle the crises in the Middle East region, he said.

Asked whether any meetings have taken place between Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers or whether the Saudi official has invited Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to travel to Riyadh, Ansari said that “certain moves are being undertaken between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia the details of which cannot be revealed at the moment since the two sides have agreed not to reflect the issues in the media”. The talks, he said have have been held on the sidelines of international meetings.

The statement comes following media reports about secret talks being held between the two countries to settle regional differences.

“We believe that if two major countries in West Asia [Middle East] share common will to resolve the current crisis in the region, lower costs will be imposed against the people and governments,” he was quoted as saying in Mehr News Agency.

Earlier, the spokesman said that Iran was ready to reformulate its relations with neighbours to find ways for problems in the region, which would benefit both Iran and the regional countries.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that Iran was ready for talks with Saudi Arabia for the good of the region and to solve problems inflicted on the regional countries.

Saudi Arabia has long accused Iran of arming and financing the Al Houthi militia in Yemen, which Tehran rejects.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are also divided over a number of other regional issues including the situations in Syria, Bahrain and Iraq.

- with inputs from IANS