TEHRAN, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Regional developments are indicative of thaw of cold in the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, official IRNA news agency wrote in an analytical note on Thursday.

The recent "positive" gestures could be a prelude to the end of decades-long "diplomatic upset" between the two countries, it said.

Over the past days, Saudi Arabian and Iranian foreign ministers made statements about their readiness for dialogue over reducing strain in the ties and de-escalation of tensions in the region.

On Wednesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud announced that Riyadh will be "conditional" ready for talks with Iran.

In a reaction, his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif welcomed dialogue with the regional states aimed at alleviating conflicts.

"Iran remains open to dialogue with its neighbors and we announce our readiness to participate in any work which benefits the region," Zarif tweeted in Arabic language on Thursday.

In the meantime, Head of Iran's Presidential Office Mahmoud Vaezi on Wednesday said that "maintaining amicable ties with the neighbors, particularly with Saudi Arabia, tops Iran's policy."

"We had good relations with them in the past. Over the past years, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump took the office (in 2016), Saudi Arabia has avoided diplomatic interaction with Iran and has adopted aggressive positions against the Islamic republic," he added.

For decades, Iran and Saudi Arabia have been involved in power struggle and expansion of their sway across the Middle East, extending from Lebanon through Syria and Iraq to Yemen. They have shut down their diplomatic missions in the capitals of both states and continued war of words and proxies.

However, efforts of mediation in the region are underway and with the "possible face-to-face dialogue of the two neighbors, the region would (re)experience peace and stability," IRNA added. Enditem

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