Top Iran diplomat suggests 90-year-old Kuwait ruler is ill

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s foreign minister said Sunday that he was praying for the “speedy recovery” of Kuwait’s ruling emir, though there has been no public word on the 90-year-old ruler being ill or injured.

Mohammad Javad Zarif made the comment on Twitter as part of a visit to the small, oil-rich Mideast nation.

Zarif wrote: “Praying for Emir’s speedy recovery,” apparently in reference to Kuwait’s ruler, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Sabah.

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Zarif did not elaborate and Iranian media did not immediately acknowledge the remarks.

Good talks with Kuwaiti Crown Prince & FM. Praying for Emir's speedy recovery.

Stressed that Iran's proposal for Regional Dialogue Forum and non-aggression pact trumps reliance on extraneous actors.

After short stop in Tehran to brief President, embarking on Scandinavian tour. pic.twitter.com/wlo2LzcA9N

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) August 18, 2019

Kuwait’s Information Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. There was no statement on Kuwait’s state-run KUNA news agency about the emir’s health.

Sheikh Sabah has ruled Kuwait since January 2006. He’s pushed for diplomacy to solve regional issues and hosted major donor conferences.