Kuwait Expels Two Iranian Diplomats After Deadly Airport Strike
Kuwait's Deputy Foreign Minister Hamad Suleiman Al-Mashaan handed Iranian chargé d'affaires Hamed Hamid Yaqoubi Far an official protest note condemning what Kuwait described as continued Iranian attacks.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Kuwait on Wednesday summoned Iran's chargé d'affaires and ordered the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats following a missile attack on Kuwait International Airport that killed one person and wounded dozens, marking the first deadly strike in the Gulf since an April ceasefire between Iran and its adversaries.
Kuwait's Deputy Foreign Minister Hamad Suleiman Al-Mashaan handed Iranian chargé d'affaires Hamed Hamid Yaqoubi Far an official protest note condemning what Kuwait described as continued Iranian attacks. The note also informed Tehran of Kuwait's decision to reduce the number of staff at the Iranian Embassy and to declare two members of the diplomatic mission persona non grata, ordering them to leave the country within 24 hours.
In its statement, Kuwait rejected Iranian allegations that its territory or airspace had been used to launch attacks against any country, insisting it had not facilitated military operations by foreign forces.
The diplomatic dispute escalated after an Iranian strike targeted Kuwait International Airport, killing an Indian national and injuring 63 others. The attack forced the temporary closure of the airport and reportedly damaged diplomatic facilities, according to Kuwaiti authorities.
The incident has raised concerns over the durability of a ceasefire that has largely held since April 8 despite occasional exchanges of fire. The truce ended more than a month of conflict triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, during which Tehran launched thousands of missiles and drones toward Gulf states.
Iran has accused Kuwait and Bahrain of allowing the United States to use their territory to carry out attacks against Iranian targets, including an Iranian tanker and an island in the Gulf.
Tehran said its recent military operations targeted the U.S. Navy's Middle East headquarters in Bahrain and the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. However, the Iranian authorities did not specifically mention Kuwait International Airport among the declared targets.