Qatar Emir to Meet Ahmadinejad in Tehran
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani is expected Thursday night in Tehran for talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, an official told Agence France Presse, without providing further details.
It marks the first visit to Tehran by one of the leaders of Gulf monarchies following the political crisis in the tiny kingdom of Bahrain.
Despite lingering tensions between the Islamic republic and the Gulf Cooperation Council -- comprised of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman -- Doha has kept close relations with Iran and has acted several times as mediator between Tehran and Riyadh.
Iran's relations with the Gulf monarchies have been strained in the wake of its strong and repeated criticism against Saudi intervention in Bahrain in mid-March to help Manama quell a popular uprising led by the Shiite majority in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.
Bahrain and Kuwait in return expelled Iranian diplomats after accusing them of spying.
The tensions appeared to have calmed in recent weeks, however, with a dampening of criticism from both sides.
Source: Agence France Presse
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