By Parisa Hafezi

DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran has asked Saudi Arabia to persuade the U.S. to revive stalled nuclear talks, underlining Tehran's anxiety over a possible repeat of Israeli airstrikes and its deepening economic woes, two regional sources with knowledge of the matter said.

A day before Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to the White House earlier this week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sent a letter to the de facto Saudi leader, Iranian and Saudi media reported on Monday.

In the letter, Pezeshkian said Iran "does not seek confrontation", wants deeper regional cooperation and remains "open to resolving the nuclear dispute through diplomacy, provided its rights are guaranteed", the sources told Reuters.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday that Pezeshkian's message to the Saudi crown prince was "purely bilateral". The Saudi government media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

IRAN'S NUCLEAR SITES BOMBED IN JUNE

Prior to the 12-day war in June triggered by Israeli airstrikes, during which U.S. forces struck three Iranian nuclear sites, Iran and the U.S. held five rounds of talks on the Islamic Republic's contentious uranium enrichment programme.

Since the war, the negotiations have hit an impasse, even as both sides insist they remain open to a deal.

One of the sources in the Gulf said Iran is seeking a channel to reopen talks with Washington, and that the Saudi leader also favours a peaceful solution and conveyed that message to U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit.........

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