Kuwait emir sends royal messengers to Riyadh and Cairo ahead of US crisis talks

Kuwait's emir has sent envoys with messages for the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Egypt as the country attempts to mediate a diplomatic crisis in the Gulf.

Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah dispatched the messengers with handwritten letters on Monday for Saudi King Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the official Kuwait News Agency [KUNA] reported.

Kuwait is leading mediation efforts in the crisis between Qatar and four Arab states.

On 5 June, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of backing "extremism" and building ties with their rival Iran.

The four nations have closed their land and sea borders to Qatar and imposed economic and air traffic restrictions.

Doha has categorically denied the claims but has agreed to Kuwait acting as a mediator and has come to an agreement with Washington to further fight terror financing.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last week asked two officials, including retired general and former Middle East envoy Anthony Zinni, to work to end the crisis.

The parties to the dispute are still not in direct talks, however, Washington is keen to pressure its allies in the region to mend ties and work together against extremism.

The two US envoys are expected to arrive in Kuwait for the first leg of tour of the five states involved in the crisis, a Gulf official told Bloomberg on Monday.

They will travel to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt before heading to Qatar for the last stop.

Zinni, 73, was a marine general who once commanded US forces in the Middle East. After the military he served as special envoy to Israel and the Palestinian Authority

The crisis is the worst to grip the region since the 1981 creation of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Qatar.

The two other GCC members, Kuwait and Oman, have not joined the Qatar boycott.