<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Iran says Saudi Arabia has invited Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi for an official visit - just over a week since the countries agreed to restore diplomatic relations.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The invitation is said to have come in a letter from King Salman, but has not yet been confirmed by the Saudis.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Middle East's recent history has been dominated by hostility between the two nations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">China brokered the thaw, which could reshape the region's geopolitics.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A senior Iranian official, Mohammad Jamshidi, tweeted about the invitation to visit the Saudi capital, Riyadh, saying Mr Raisi had welcomed it and "stressed Iran's readiness to expand co-operation".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Separately, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told reporters that the two countries had agreed to hold a meeting at foreign minister level, and that three possible locations had been proposed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He did not name the locations, nor say when the meeting might take place.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The BBC's Middle East Editor, Sebastian Usher, says the recent improvement in bilateral relations, which came unexpectedly following days of talks brokered by China, appears to be building serious momentum.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Both have announced they will reopen embassies within two months and re-establish trade and security relations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This development was cautiously welcomed by many, including the US and the United Nations, after previous attempts at reconciliation were unsuccessful.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Saudi Arabia cut ties in January 2016 after demonstrators stormed its embassy in Tehran.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That was after Riyadh had executed the prominent Shia Muslim cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who was convicted of terror-related offences.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Since then, tensions between the Sunni- and Shia-led neighbours have often been high, with each regarding the other as a threatening power seeking regional dominance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They have been on opposing sides of several regional conflicts, including the civil wars in Syria and Yemen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mr Amir-Abdollahian also said that Iran hoped steps would be made to improve ties with Bahrain, a close Saudi ally that followed Riyadh in severing diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2016.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We hope that some obstacles between Iran and Bahrain will be removed and we will take basic steps to reopen the embassies," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bahrain has not responded to the comments, but earlier welcomed the Iran-Saudi agreement to restore diplomatic ties.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Iran has also expressed a willingness to resume or improve relations with other regional Arab rivals, including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>