Kuwait says emir recovered from 'setback'

Kuwaiti state media on Sunday reported Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah had "recovered", shortly after Iran's foreign minister indicated that the 90-year-old was unwell.

The emir "has recovered from a setback and is in good health now", Kuwait's official news agency KUNA said, citing a palace statement, without specifying the nature of the "setback".

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had earlier on Sunday wished Sheikh Sabah a "speedy recovery" after talking with the Gulf state's officials.

"Good talks with Kuwaiti crown prince (Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah) and foreign minister. Praying for Emir's speedy recovery," Zarif wrote on Twitter.

The emir, who ascended to power in January 2006, was seen in public last week during Muslim prayers and appeared in good health.

Prior to KUNA's report late on Sunday, there had been no word on the emir's health in official media or Kuwaiti newspapers.

Zarif said that during the talks, he stressed that Iran's proposal for a regional dialogue forum and non-aggression pact would eliminate the need to rely on foreign powers.

Unlike its strained relations with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Iran maintains good ties with Kuwait, which has acted as mediator to improve ties between Tehran and Arab Gulf states.

Sheikh Sabah had a pacemaker implanted in 2000 and underwent successful urinary tract surgery in the United States in August 2007.