Following yesterday's visit to the Saudi capital of Riyadh, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi today travelled to the Iranian capital Tehran

An Iraqi Cabinet source said yesterday that Kadhimi's visit to Saudi Arabia and later Iran "comes in the context of recent talks held by Riyadh and Tehran in Baghdad."

Al-Kadhimi met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia earlier today as part of Baghdad's efforts to mediate between Riyadh and Tehran.

A source said that those talks "represent a road map for reforming relations and getting back on track to strengthen bilateral relations" between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which support rival parties in conflict zones across the region.

During the past year, Iraq hosted five rounds of talks between the regional rivals, with the last meeting being held in April. Kadhimi had indicated at the time that he believed that "reconciliation was close" between Riyadh and Tehran, another reflection of the transformation of political alliances across the region.

Diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have been severed for six years, following Iranian demonstrators attacking the headquarters of Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran against the backdrop of Saudi Arabia's execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr, to Riyadh's response by severing ties with Tehran.

In early March, Prince Mohammed said that his country and Iran were "forever neighbours", and that "it is better for both of us to work to solve the problem and find ways in which we can coexist".