Lebanon urges Kuwait to help end Saudi-Iran rift

Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri has urged Kuwait to keep trying to build bridges between Iran and Saudi Arabia to encourage a rapprochement between two regional heavyweights backing opposite sides in Syria’s conflict.

Berri spoke during a visit to Kuwait two days after Lebanon formed a new government in a possible step towards curbing the sectarian violence that has spilled over into Lebanon from neighboring Syria.
“I requested that all the (Persian) Gulf countries and in particular Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad play a mediating role between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Berri told the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Rai in the remarks published on Tuesday.

“The emir has worked and will work in this context, and he will try as much as possible to bring together the points of view,” Berri said, referring to Kuwait’s leader.

Sheikh Sabah was foreign minister for four decades before becoming emir and is often described as one of the top diplomats in the Persian Gulf region.