Kuwait Appoints First Ambassador to Iran in 6 Years
Kuwait has appointed an ambassador to Iran for the first time in more than six years. Ambassador Bader Abdullah Al-Munaikh presented his credentials to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Tehran on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced on its website. Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Munaikh’s appointment.
Iran already has an ambassador in Kuwait, Mohammad Irani.
Kuwait recalled its top envoy, Ambassador Majdi adh-Dhafiri, and broke ties with Iran in January 2016 over attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran, following similar moves by Saudi allies Sudan and Bahrain, and the downgrading of ties with Tehran by the United Arab Emirates. The attacks on the Saudi facilities were in response to Riyadh’s execution of Shiite cleric Sheik Nimr al-Nimr and 46 others convicted on terrorism charges.
Kuwait’s move comes amid efforts by the Sunni dynasty in Riyadh to improve its relations with the Shi’ite ayatollahs’ regime in Tehran. The Saudi-Iranian rivalry for power and influence has fueled multiple regional conflicts, mostly through proxy forces. Saudi Arabia launched direct talks with Iran last year. Five rounds of discussions mediated by Iraq have yielded some progress but “not enough,” according to the kingdom’s foreign minister, Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir.
The United Arab Emirates is likewise working to return its ambassador to Iran as it seeks to rebuild ties after years of mutual hostility, a senior Emirati official said last month.
