BEIRUT (AP) — Iran’s foreign minister said Friday that more talks with regional archrival Saudi Arabia are needed for Tehran and Riyadh to improve ties but that negotiations so far have been heading in the right direction. The comments by Iran’s top diplomat, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, came on the last day of his two-day visit to Lebanon. “We consider the ongoing dialogue constructive, and we hope that it serves both countries’ interests.”The first direct talks between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia took place in early April and were credited with reducing a highly hostile public discourse between the two. Iran and Saudi Arabia — a Shiite and a Sunni powerhouse in the Middle East — have long been regional rivals. Relations took a sharp turn when Riyadh removed its diplomats after protesters attacked its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad in 2016.
