Hassan Rouhani to Visit Oman and Kuwait on Wednesday

The office of the Iranian president announced on Monday, February 14, that Hassan Rouhani will travel to Oman and Kuwait on Wednesday at the invitation of the Sultan of Oman and the Emir of Kuwait, leading a high-level delegation. According to IRNA, Parviz Ismaili, the deputy for communications and information at the Iranian president's office, stated that Rouhani will first travel to Muscat, the capital of Oman, on Wednesday morning at the official invitation of Sultan Qaboos. During this short visit, the Iranian president and his accompanying delegation will meet with Sultan Qaboos and other officials in Oman. Rouhani will leave Muscat for Kuwait in the afternoon. Ismaili noted that Rouhani will be welcomed by the Emir in Kuwait, and "negotiations between the delegations of the two countries and a meeting with the Prime Minister will be among the most important programs of the Iranian president's visit to Kuwait." The announcement of Rouhani's trip comes after Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kuwait, visited Tehran on January 27 and delivered a "written message" from the Emir of Kuwait to Rouhani. Iranian and Kuwaiti officials did not provide details about the content of this "written message," but prior to his trip, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah mentioned that the message was regarding "dialogue between Iran and the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council." Relations between Iran and the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, especially with Saudi Arabia, have soured in recent years. Saudi Arabia, as the most powerful member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, has severed diplomatic relations with Iran. Since the onset of the so-called Arab Spring protests and the outbreak of civil wars in Syria and Yemen, Gulf Cooperation Council members have accused Iran of interfering in Arab countries' affairs. In the Syrian civil war, Iran supports the government of Bashar al-Assad, while the opposition receives support from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. In Yemen, Saudi Arabia leads an Arab coalition supporting the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, while Iran backs the Houthi Shiite militants. On January 18, Rouhani stated that about ten countries, including Kuwait, have expressed readiness to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia. This is Rouhani's first visit as the president of Iran to a member country of the Gulf Cooperation Council. In this context, the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister called for "dialogue" between Iran and the Gulf states during his visit to Tehran.