Kuwait City: Kuwait has reiterated it will not send its ambassador to Iran unless Tehran reviews its policy.

“The situation will remain as it is now until Iran changes its stance,” Ali Al Saeed, assistant foreign minister for Asian affairs, said.

“Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Sabah Al Khalid and Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid Al Jarallah have often stressed that Iran should take concrete steps to change its policy and adopt a positive role in the region,” Al Saeed told reporters as he announced that Kuwait had approved the nomination of Iran’s ambassador designate to the Gulf state.

On January 5, 2016 Kuwait recalled its ambassador in Iran, saying the decision had been taken following “the storming, torching and sabotage activities carried out by a group of demonstrators on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and its Consulate in Mashhad”.

Such actions constituted “a flagrant breach of international conventions and violation of Iran’s international commitment over security and safety of diplomatic missions on its soil,” the statement said.

Kuwait was the fourth Gulf country to take direct action against Tehran following the incident.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain severed diplomatic relations with Iran, while the UAE recalled its ambassador in Tehran “in accordance with its decision to downgrade diplomatic representation in Iran”.

Qatar condemned the attacks on the Saudi diplomatic missions.

Kuwaiti officials have regularly called on Iran to end its meddling in the domestic affairs of the GCC countries.

“We always stress that the Iranian interference must come to an end and we insist that our dialogue with Tehran must be based on the non-existence of any Iranian interference in the domestic affairs of our countries,” Al Jarallah said in March last year.

“We look forward to the day when we do not see any form of Iranian interference in our affairs,” he said as he charged that Iran’s interference in Bahrain impacted dialogue, relations, security and stability in the region.

In March this year, he said Kuwait told the Iranians the resumption of the dialogue depended on Tehran’s initiatives and commitment to normal relations with its neighbours.

“As long as these requirements are not fulfilled, the dialogue is postponed,” he said.