Kuwaiti Emir Visits Iran to Mend Trouble Ties

Tehran (Antara/Xinhua-OANA) - Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah arrived in Tehran on Sunday for a landmark visit to mend bilateral ties that were troubled by Iran's alleged intervention of internal affairs of some Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. As a member of the GCC, which also includes Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait has been at odds with Iran over Tehran's alleged intervention in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Kuwait also claimed that it had dismantled an Iranian spy cell on its territory. Bahrain has been facing sporadic violence since 2011. It blames various countries, mainly Iran, of training Shiite Bahrainis in manufacturing bombs and weapons to disrupt security and stability in the Gulf country. Iran and Saudi Arabia also have major differences over several regional issues, including the situation in Syria and Bahrain, and Iran's nuclear program. As for Yemen, media reports said earlier in April that the country accused Iran of supporting "southern secessionists and northern rebels in Yemen." Tehran has so far persistently denied any interference in the domestic affairs of GCC member states. Last December, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif visited Kuwait to convey Iran's "friendly" message to its Persian Gulf neighbor. The Kuwaiti Emir's visit comes following gestures of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for cooperation and interaction with the Middle East countries.(*)