Kuwait bans ships carrying goods to and from Israel

Kuwait has issued a decree banning the entry of commercial vessels carrying goods to and from Israel from its territorial waters.

The Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology, Rana Al-Faris, announced the ban over the weekend.

The Kuwaiti decision is in stark contrast to other parts of the Gulf. 14 months ago Israel opened diplomatic and trading ties with old foes, Bahrain and the UAE, with shipping links growing significantly over the past year.