Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul has voiced hope that there will be more opportunities for South Korea and Iran to expand their partnership under the new Iranian leadership, his office said Friday. Cho expressed his expectations during the talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Aragchi that took place on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Thursday. Noting that the new Iranian government, led by reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, has emphasized dialogue and engagement with the West, Cho said he expects Tehran's approach to help create a favorable environment for South Korea to expand cooperation with Iran, the ministry said. The two sides also exchanged views on the escalating tensions in the Middle East due to the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Cho requested that Iran play a "constructive" role in stabilizing the region and called for restraint by all relevant parties to prevent a wider war, according to the ministry. Source : Yonhap News Agency