Kuwait halts visas to Lebanese amid Gulf crisis

ISTANBUL (AA) – Kuwait on Wednesday suspended the issuance of visas to Lebanese, amid a diplomatic crisis between Beirut and the Gulf nations over criticism of the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen, according to local media.

Al-Qabas newspaper, citing security sources, said the Interior Ministry halted the issuance of all types of visas to Lebanese passport holders until further notice.

There was no comment from the Kuwaiti authorities on the report.

Relations strained between the Gulf nations and Lebanon over statements made by Lebanese Information Minister Georg Kordahi on the Yemeni conflict before he took his post in the new Lebanese government.

Asked if he "thinks that the Houthis, like Hezbollah, are defending their land as an armed organization," Kordahi responded: "Of course they are defending themselves ... My personal opinion is that this war in Yemen needs to be ended. Houses, buildings, villages, and cities are being attacked by fighter jets."

Angered by Kordahi’s critical comments, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors from Lebanon.

Kordahi, for his part, has rejected calls for him to resign to help heal the rift with the Gulf nations.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation and caused one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises.

Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara