TEHRAN: President Hassan Rouhani says Iran is ready to restore ties with Saudi Arabia if it stops bombing Yemen and cuts its alleged ties with Israel.

In a speech broadcast on Sunday, Mr Rouhani said the regional rivals could have `good relations’ if the Saudis ended their`misguided friendship’ with Israel and halted the `inhuman bombardment’ of Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is battling Iranian-allied rebels known as Houthis.

Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Tehran in January 2016 after Iranian demonstrators attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in response to the Saudi execution of a prominent Shia dissident cleric.

Tensions spiked again last month after the Houthis fired a ballistic missile that was intercepted near Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia does not recognise Israel, but the two countries have a shared interest in countering Iran.

In a related development, Saudi-backed forces were on Sunday said to be advancing toward the Red Sea port of Hodeida, which provides a lifeline to the Houthis.

Yemen’s official news agency SABA reported that Saudi-allied government forces had taken control of the town of Tahita in Hodeida province.

Forces loyal to the internationally recognised government are hoping to exploit the collapse of the Houthis’ alliance with fighters loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was killed by the rebels earlier this month.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2017