Kuwait: More than six years after withdrawing its senior envoy to Tehran in support of Saudi Arabia after it cut ties the with Islamic Republic in 2016, Kuwait has nominated an ambassador to Iran, both nations said on Sunday.
According to information posted on the website of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Bader Abdullah Al-Munaikh presented his credentials to Hossein Amirabdollahian on Saturday in Tehran. Munaikh’s appointment as an agent for Iran was recognised by Kuwait’s foreign ministry.
The action is being taken as Saudi Arabia attempts to strengthen its ties with Iran, with whom it has been embroiled in a rivalry that has manifested itself in numerous regional confrontations.In January 2016, after Iranian demonstrators stormed a Saudi embassy in Iran following Saudi Arabia’s execution of a prominent Shia cleric, Riyadh severed ties with Tehran.
While other Gulf Arab states cut ties to support Riyadh, Kuwait recalled its representative to Iran. As part of a foreign policy that balances connections with its larger neighbours, Kuwait has managed to keep reasonably excellent relations with Tehran.
According to a senior Emirati official, the United Arab Emirates is trying to send an ambassador to Iran as it attempts to mend fences after years of hostility.
