TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has traveled to neighboring Kuwait to offer condolences over the passing of its emir.

“During the visit, Foreign Minister Zarif held meetings with Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, the new emir of Kuwait, and Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

The statement also said Zarif has traveled to Kuwait on behalf of President Hassan Rouhani to offer sympathy to the Kuwaiti nation and government over the demise of the country's former emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah.

He also offered congratulations on the new emir's appointment and underlined the Islamic Republic's support for the Arab country.

The late Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad, who had been receiving medical treatment in the U.S., passed away on September 29. Earlier this year, he underwent a medical surgery after reports emerged that he had been admitted to hospital for a medical check-up.

The 91-year-old ruler was known for his mediation efforts among Arab countries. Over the past few years, he made efforts to reconcile Qatar with some of its Arab neighbors who severed their diplomatic ties with it in an effort to compel it to change its foreign policies.  These neighbors – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain – along with Egypt, also planned to invade Qatar, a plan that was thwarted by Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, who once publicly said that he succeeded in preventing a military action against Qatar.

But the late emir failed to resolve the crisis between Qatar and the Arab quartet and his death threw the crisis into uncertainty. It remains to be seen whether the new emir of Kuwait would follow the lead of his predecessor. Some analysts believe that the new emir may put more emphasis on internal affairs than foreign policy.

SM/PA