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Kuwait appoints first ambassador to Iran since 2016
Kuwait has appointed an ambassador to Iran, more than six years after recalling its top envoy to Tehran in 2016, both countries said on Sunday (August 14).
Iran’s foreign ministry said on its website, ambassador Bader Abdullah al-Munaikh handed his credentials to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Tehran on Saturday (August 13).
Kuwait's foreign ministry confirmed Munaikh was appointed envoy to Iran, the al-Arabiya English reported, citing Reuters.
Iran already has an ambassador in Kuwait, it said.
The move comes as Saudi Arabia works to improve ties with Iran, with which it has been locked in a rivalry that has played out across conflicts in the region.
Saudi Arabia and Iran have had no diplomatic relations for six years, but have held talks, hosted by Iraq, since April last year in a bid to mend ties.
Kuwait recalled its envoy to Iran as other Gulf Arab states downgraded ties to rally behind Riyadh. Kuwait has maintained relatively good relations with Tehran under a foreign policy balancing ties with its larger neighbors.
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The United Arab Emirates is working to send an ambassador to Iran as it seeks to rebuild bridges following years of tensions, a senior Emirati official said last month.
Saudi Arabia launched direct talks with Iran last year. The Kingdom’s foreign minister has said there has been some progress in five rounds of Iraq-mediated discussions, but “not enough.”
About one-third of Kuwait's local population belongs to the Shiite branch of Islam, as do most Iranians.
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