Iraninfo-icon and Omaninfo-icon will work to boost their ties, the Islamic republic's President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday, as a diplomatic crisis persists in the Gulf.

"Iran and Oman have for years had fraternal relations and the best must be made of these good relations to reinforce them," Rouhani said as he met Oman's foreign minister.

The Iranian government's website reported Foreign Minister Yussef Bin Alawi as replying: "Omani leaders believe our ties should be developed."

The remarks come after Saudi Arabiainfo-icon, the United Arab Emiratesinfo-icon, Bahraininfo-icon and Egyptinfo-icon last month severed ties with Qatarinfo-icon, accusing it of backing terrorism and being too close to Riyadh's arch-rival Tehraninfo-icon.

They imposed a series of isolation measures on Qatar including cutting air, land and maritime links to the small gas-rich emirate.

Oman, which has maintained ties with Qatar, took part this week in a string of Kuwaiti and USinfo-icon-led talks towards resolving the crisis.

Rouhani slammed the sanctions imposed by the Riyadh-led group on Dohainfo-icon, which Qatar has called a "blockade".

"Threatening, pressuring and imposing a blockade against neighbours, including Qatar, is an erroneous method and everyone must try to reduce the tensions in the region," he said.

He also criticised "the policies of certain countries in the region against Syriainfo-icon, Yemeninfo-icon and Bahrain", in what appeared to be a reference to Saudi Arabia.

Iran regularly denounces bombings of Iran-backed Huthi rebels by a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, where is has accused the coalition of blockading ports.

Tehran also accuses Riyadh and its allies of supporting rebels in Syria and Iraqinfo-icon, where it backs Damascus and Baghdadinfo-icon.

Iran increased its foodinfo-icon imports to Qatar after its Gulf neighbours cut transport links to the emirate.