The regional crisis between Saudi Arabia and Iran looks to be worsening as Kuwait have announced that it is recalling its ambassador from Iran, according to the BBC.
Tensions between Iran and Saudi reached a new height on Sunday after the latter severed diplomatic ties with Iran after its Embassy was attacked in Tehran. Diplomats from both took to the media accusing themselves in a diplomatic battle not seen since the eighties. Saudi Arabia executed about 47 people on January 1st who it said were terrorists and among them was a prominent Shia cleric Nimr Baqr al-Nimr which has angered Iran.
Saudi Arabia and Iran are on opposite sides of Islam’s long-standing schism between Sunni and Shia. Saudi Arabia is a Sunni majority country ruled by a Sunni royal family. Iran is majority Shia ruled by religious scholars known as Ayatollahs.
The Kuwaiti government said it was recalling its ambassador from the Iranian capital, describing the attacks as a flagrant breach of international norms, although it did not expel Tehran’s ambassador or downgrade diplomatic ties.
Saudi authorities announced late on Sunday that they were severing diplomatic relations with Iran. They said that all commercial and air traffic links were being cut and that Saudi citizens were banned from travelling to Iran.
Bahrain, Sudan and Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have downgraded their diplomatic teams in Iran.
The UN Security Council, on monday issued a strongly worded statement condemning the attack on the Saudi embassy – making no mention of the execution of the cleric.
