In this photo released by official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, left, meets Omani Sultan Qaboos after an official arrival ceremony in Muscat, Oman, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017 (Photo: AP)
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visited Oman and Kuwait on Wednesday for talks to improve relations with Gulf neighbours, strained by the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.
He was welcomed by Sultan Qaboos in Muscat, where the two discussed bilateral relations and the situation in the region, Oman's official ONA news agency reported.
"Tehran has always been in favour of resolving problems and disputes through dialogue," Rouhani said, according to Iranian media. "Iran's military power is only defensive".
"There are now good conditions for developing and consolidating relations between Iran and Oman," he added, calling for stronger economic ties.
Iran traditionally maintains good relations with the sultanate, with which it shares control of the key Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.
Rouhani was later set to meet Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who last month launched a dialogue with the Islamic republic to normalise Iran-Gulf ties.
Before leaving Tehran, Rouhani had expressed support for Kuwait-led efforts to "resolve misunderstandings and boost relations" with Gulf countries, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.
"In this trip, there will be discussions about the region, the situation in Iraq, Syria and in particular in Yemen," he said.
The two-nation tour does not include regional kingpin Saudi Arabia, Iran's key rival.
Tehran's ties with other Gulf states have been strained over its support for the Syrian regime of Bashar Al-Assad and alleged backing of Yemen's Houthi rebels.
In Oman, he appealed for a ceasefire, increased humanitarian aid and political dialogue to resolve the Yemen conflict.
"Today, the Yemenis are in a particularly disastrous situation and we all have to act as Muslim countries to help this people," he said.
Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah visited Tehran last month, calling for a "normalisation of ties and opening dialogue".
Kuwait's deputy foreign minister Khaled al-Jarallah said in remarks published Wednesday that he hopes Rouhani visit to open a dialogue between the Gulf states and Iran.
The elements needed for the dialogue, which were included in the emir's letter, call for non-interference in the internal affairs of the Gulf states, respecting their sovereignty and establishing good neighbouring relations, Jarallah said in the comments published in Kuwait's Al-Qabas newspaper.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit held in Manama in December asked Kuwait to initiate contacts with Tehran to start a dialogue to improve ties.
Kuwait, where 30 percent of native citizens are Shias, has maintained normal relations with Tehran despite taking part in the Saudi-led military campaign on Yemen's Shia Houthi rebels.
Iran has had no diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia since January 2016, when demonstrators stormed the kingdom's missions in Tehran and Mashhad in protest at the execution of a Saudi Shia Muslim cleric.
Ties were already strained between the region's leading Shia and Sunni powers, which have taken opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.
Oman, which has a significant Shia minority, has historically had good ties with Iran, with which it shares control of the Strait of Hormuz.
The sultanate is the only one of the six Gulf Arab states not taking part in the Saudi-led military intervention against the Houthis in Yemen.
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