By Pol O Gradaigh

Cairo (dpa) - Kuwait Tuesday recalled its ambassador from Iran amid a growing regional dispute surrounding Saudi Arabia's weekend execution of a dissident Shiite cleric, the official KUNA news agency reported.

The Gulf state also called in the Iranian ambassador and handed him an official protest over the storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran by demonstrators after the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, KUNA said.

The report did not specify whether the Kuwaiti ambassador to Iran was being recalled for consultations or indefinitely.

Kuwait is not the first majority Sunni country to take diplomatic steps against Iran in protest at the Shiite power's reaction to the execution.

Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic relations with Iran on Sunday, angered by Tehran's vehement criticism, as well as the storming of its embassy.

Riyadh's allies in Bahrain and Sudan followed suit the day after, while the United Arab Emirates recalled its ambassador and said it was downgrading diplomatic relations.

Turkey meanwhile added its voice to calls for calm, saying that Saudi Arabia and Iran were "the two most important countries of the Islamic world" and must find a way to reduce tensions.

"The political tension between these two countries can't contribute to peace in the region, which already resembles a powder keg," said Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus in a Twitter post.

Islamic heavyweights Pakistan and Algeria have already joined the EU and United States in calling for reconciliation, amid fears that the dispute will hamper peace efforts in Yemen and Syria where the two Gulf powers support rival sides to the conflicts.

Syria peace talks are due to resume on January 25, in a process that for the first time brings both Saudi and Iran to the negotiating table.

Iran, along with Russia, is the main outside backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Riyadh is a key supporter of rebel forces.

The execution of al-Nimr, who was popular among disaffected members of Saudi Arabia's Shiite minority, has led to angry protests by Shiite Muslims in the region.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the killing - which was one of 47 executions, mostly of al-Qaeda-linked terror convicts, announced on Saturday - would lead to "divine vengeance" on Saudi Arabia's rulers.