29 Mar 2024
Sunday 23 July 2017 - 11:41
Story Code : 269367

The price of defiance: Why US, Saudi Arabia turning Kuwait against Iran

Sputnik - Commenting on the latest twist in the diplomatic row in the Persian Gulf, this time between Kuwait and Iran, Iranian political analysts spoke to Sputnik Iran, revealing whos really behind this new development and which of the two countries will suffer the most from the consequences.

On Thursday, Kuwait sent a diplomatic note toIran's embassy stating that the office ofmilitary and cultural attaches would be closed down. The note also said that 15 Iranian diplomats, including Ambassador Alireza Enayati, would have toleave the country within45 days, leaving only four Iranian diplomats inKuwait.

Kuwait's acting information minister, Sheikh Mohammad al-Mubarak al-Sabah, said ina statement that the move was taken in "accordance withdiplomatic norms and inabidance withthe Vienna conventions withregards toits relationship withthe Islamic Republic ofIran."

According tomass media reports, the moves were made followingthe conviction ofthe members ofAl Abdali terror cell, whose Kuwaiti members were accused ofalleged intelligence contacts withIran and Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite militant group.

The Ministry ofForeign Affairs ofIran has responded bysummoning the Kuwaiti charge d'affaires. While rejecting the accusations, Iran has said that the measures taken byKuwaiti officials are regrettable, given that the existing tensions inthe region are now ina critical condition.

"We expect Kuwait toact rationally instead ofresponding topressures and worsening the tensions," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi was quoted assaying bythe Mehr news agency.
In an interview withSputnik Iran, Sabbah Zanganeh, a political commentator, Iranian envoy tothe Organization ofIslamic Cooperation and former adviser tothe Iranian foreign minister, said that the moves ofthe Kuwaiti authorities have been evidently fuelled bypressure fromSaudi Arabia.


The Iranian authorities have not been informed ofany details ofthe ongoing investigation inKuwait and any charges which have been put forward. Neither the Iranian legal representative, now any independent Iranian experts have been allowed tostudy the case inmore detail.

The Iranian political analyst recalled that there have already been groundless and unsubstantiated accusations made againstIran, alleging that it played a major role inliberating the territories ofKuwait fromthe occupation ofSaddam Hussein bysupporting and mobilizing hundreds ofthousands ofKuwaiti residents, similar tothe current accusations againstTehran.

"In due course, Saddam Hussein made a very ambitious offer toIran tocapture not only Kuwait, butthe territories ofother countries ofthe Persian Gulf. However Iran had never had a goal ofthe occupation ofthe territories ofsovereign states and the destruction ofthe system ofgovernment ofthese countries," Sabbah Zanganeh told Sputnik.

"Hence this demarche ofKuwait is baseless and is fuelled purely bythe pressure ofSaudi Arabia, which does not want toput upwith the idea that the Arab states ofthe Persian Gulf, such asKuwait and Qatar, have good relations withIran. Saudi Arabia is exerting strong pressure onthe Kuwaiti authorities and its mass media," he added.
The political commentator further explained that untilrecently, Kuwait has been pursuing a very reasonable and moderate foreign policy; however it has come understrong pressure fromthe Saudis. Where Qatar was the first target ofthe Saudis, now it is Kuwait's turn. The Saudis cannot tolerate Kuwait's key positions inthe settlement ofthe Qatari crisis, inthe negotiations ofthe Yemeni issue and inthe issue ofdiplomatic correspondence withIran onbehalf ofthe Cooperation Council forthe Arab States ofthe Persian Gulf. Kuwait, unlikeQatar, is toa far lesser extent an independent state.


In a separate comment onthe issue, Iranian political analyst and expert onMiddle East and Iranian-Arab relations, former editor-in-chief ofthe Iranian news agency Mehr News, Hassan Hanizadeh told Sputnik that Kuwait will be the country tosuffer fromits demarche, while it will have no impact onthe economic environment ofIran.
"These actions ofKuwait, aimed atdecreasing diplomatic relationship withIran, have been evidently dictated bySaudi Arabia and the US. As we remember, duringhis trip tothe Middle East, Donald Trump had an important meeting withthe leaders ofsix Arab states ofthe Persian Gulf inRiyadh. Trump demanded that these states cut their diplomatic relations withIran or atleast lower the level oftheir ties. Qatar is the first tobe punished fordisobeying this order," he told Sputnik.


However, he further elaborated, Qatar held firm and defied pressure fromSaudi Arabia and the US. Kuwait, inturn, is a sparsely populated country, compared toits neighbors, and prefers not tooppose the pressure ofthe US and the Saudis. The danger is that this demarche could spark tensions inthe region betweenthe Arab states and Iran even further.


For the last 30 years Iran has been maintaining good and friendly relations withKuwait, avoiding any hostilities. Moreover, in1990, duringthe attack ofSaddam Hussein onKuwait, the Iranian embassy inKuwait sheltered overa hundred women and young ladies, wives and daughters ofKuwaiti emir and his brothers, onits territory fromHussein's troops and then safely sent them toIran fortemporary relocation.

Unfortunately, the current Kuwaiti authorities have forgotten this and are putting forward baseless accusations againstIran underpressure fromSaudi Arabia, the political analyst said.
"Kuwait will be the only one tosuffer fromthis demarche. Iran is a large and strong country, which will easily overcome this crisis. Kuwait is not a high priority inthe Iranian foreign policy and the lowering ofthe level ofdiplomatic relations betweenthe two countries won't have any impact onIran," Hassan Hanizadeh told Sputnik.


He explained that there are no deep trade-economic relations betweenthe two states, only political and cultural. Hence the demarche won't have any impact onthe economy ofIran.

Commenting onthe conviction ofthe members ofthe Al Abdali terror cell, and the accusation ofthe members inespionage onbehalf ofIran, Hassan Hanizadeh noted that Iran would not spend any resources attempting toglean intelligence fromKuwait, hence all the accusations are illogical and unreasonable.

"Kuwait is not the type ofcountry forIran tospend its intelligence resources on. It has neither a strong army nor any objects ofinfrastructure, such asa nuclear power plant, forexample. It is not ofany particular value toIranian intelligence services. Hence, any accusations ofespionage are absurd and unreasonable," he told Sputnik.
The political analyst said that scenario, which has got the name of "Al Abdali process" had been planned beforehand bythe Americans and the Saudis. One ofits aims is toclear the way forthe breakup ofties betweenIran and the member states ofthe Cooperation Council forthe Arab States ofthe Persian Gulf.


Among other possible reasons ofthe Kuwaiti demarche, Hassan Hanizadeh suggested that it could be the discontent ofthe fast growing Shia Muslim population ofthe country. The Shia Muslim community makes over40% ofthe total population ofthe country. And the Kuwaiti authorities don't want them toset their eyes onIran. Thus they are trying tolessen Iran's influence ontheir country, he concluded.
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