Alwaght- Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned Kuwait’s charge d’affaires in Tehran for “some explanations” after the country ordered Iran’s ambassador to leave.
Citing a Foreign Ministry source, Kuwait’s official KUNA new agency reported Thursday that Kuwait City decided to freeze any activities involving joint committees between the two countries following the ruling by Kuwait’s top court in a case known as the “Abdali cell.”
Media reports earlier in the day also said Kuwait had shut down the office of Iran’s cultural attaché and reduced the number of Iranian diplomats in the country.
According to Kuwaiti diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, the number of Iranian diplomats in Kuwait will be decreased from 14 to nine. Media sources also reported that the Iranian ambassador has been given 45 days to leave the Persian Gulf state
Reuters also quoted a Kuwaiti government official as saying on Thursday that Kuwait City has taken “actions” regarding its diplomatic relationship with Iran following the court ruling.
The report added that Iran's Foreign Ministry informed the Kuwaiti envoy of the Islamic Republic’s protest to the decision by Kuwait to reduce the number of Iranian diplomats in the country.
Kuwaiti courts convicted members of the so-called “Abdali cell” of allegedly working for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement.
Meanwhile, Bahram Qassemi, the spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on his Telegram channel on Thursday that an unnamed Foreign Ministry official had conveyed Tehran’s vehement protest to the Kuwaiti charge d’affaires while rejecting charges leveled against Iranian diplomats by the government of Kuwait.
“It is very regrettable that under the existing sensitive conditions in the region, instead of trying to reduce unjustified tensions and showing self-restraint in the face of pressures and incitements by adventurist parties in the region, Kuwaiti officials have answered those incitements and made the Islamic Republic of Iran target of their fictitious accusations,” Qassemi added.
He noted that the Iranian Foreign Ministry official had reminded the Kuwaiti diplomat that the Islamic Republic of Iran had always behaved responsibly toward all regional countries and reserved the right to take reciprocal measures in the face of expulsion of its diplomats from Kuwait.
According to Qassemi, the Kuwaiti charge d’affaires had regretted the current state of affairs, noting that he would convey Iran's views to his country’s official as soon as possible.
Kuwait has apparently taken the anti-Iran decision under the pressure from the Saudi regime which seeks to ignite tension in the region. The Saudi regime has immediately congratulated Kuwait for its decision.
