The regional stage: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have announced breaking off diplomatic relations with Qatar; Qatar is now relying on the support of Iran and Turkey. Enter a new diplomatic crisis between Kuwait and Iran.

What’s happened is that the Supreme Court of Kuwait has just declared harsh prison sentences against 20 persons (see photo) accused of preparing attacks on behalf of Iran. Then the Kuwaiti government expelled 15 Iranian diplomats from the country and reduced the activities that the Iranian embassy has the authority to undertake.

The Iranian government has denied any involvement in this matter. In response to the Kuwaiti measures, the Iranian Minister for Foreign Affairs has summoned the Kuwaiti charge d’affaires in Tehran, but Iran has not yet taken any reprisal measures.

As the Chairman of the Heads of State of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and enjoying the image of a moderate, Emir Sabah IV al-Ahmed al-Jabr al-Sabah of Kuwait appeared to be the most qualified to negotiating a solution to the dispute between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Two thirds of the Kuwaiti people are Sunni Muslims, or rather, Salafists. The remaining third are Shiites. This is why the Kuwait press has abstained from describing those sentenced as “Shiites”, preferring to define them simply as “criminals”.

Translation
Anoosha Boralessa