Saudi defense minister hands letter from king to Khamenei during Tehran visit

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman arrives in Tehran for meetings with officials in a visit ahead of weekend talks between Iran and the United States over the Iranian nuclear program.

The defense minister delivered a message from Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s state media reports, without giving further details about the content of the message.

Iran and the US are set to hold a second round of talks in Rome this weekend about Tehran’s disputed uranium enrichment program.

“Our belief is that the relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia is beneficial for both countries,” Iranian state media cites Khamenei as saying in the meeting. Khamenei voiced Tehran’s readiness to overcome obstacles in the way of improving ties with Riyadh.