TEHRAN - Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi on Wednesday expressed hope that Qatar’s new Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will reconsider Qatar’s past policy on Syria, semi-official ISNA news agency reported.

“We hope, in this new era, our views on hot issues in the region including Syria will get closer,” Salehi was quoted as saying.

“We hope that Sheikh Tamim pays special attention to the Syrian issue and reviews the country’s past policies on Syria seriously” said Salehi, adding that if the regional countries join hands the agonies of Syrian people can be relieved.

Sheikh Tamim took over power from his father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, on Tuesday.

Iran has criticized Qatar’s policy of supporting Syrian rebels who are overwhelmingly Sunni Muslims and are in bloody conflict with the Syrian regime which is backed by Shiite-dominated Iran. (Xinhua)