Iran's Foreign Ministry Summons Kuwaiti Chargé d'Affaires Following Diplomat Expulsions

On Thursday, July 20, Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned Falah Al-Hajraf, the Kuwaiti chargé d'affaires in Tehran, in response to Kuwait's decision to expel 15 Iranian diplomats from the country. Iranian news agencies reported that Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, conveyed Tehran's protest regarding Kuwait's decision to the chargé d'affaires. Qasemi stated, "It is regrettable that Kuwaiti officials, in a sensitive regional situation, instead of exercising restraint in the face of pressures and provocations from regional adventurers, have responded to these provocations and targeted the Islamic Republic of Iran with baseless accusations." The news of the expulsion of Iranian diplomats from Kuwait was also reported on the same day by French and Reuters news agencies, citing Kuwaiti officials. These reports indicate that the Iranian diplomats have 45 days to leave Kuwaiti territory, reducing the number of Iranian diplomats in Kuwait from 19 to four. The reports also mention that the Kuwaiti government will close Iran's commercial, military, and cultural offices in the country, with the reason for these actions being the "Al-Abdali Group" case, which has been open since two years ago following the arrest of several individuals in the Al-Abdali area of Kuwait and the discovery of large quantities of weapons and ammunition. Kuwait accuses Iran of having ties with the Al-Abdali Group, a claim that Tehran has consistently denied. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasized on Thursday that "the Islamic Republic of Iran has had no connection to this case, and this was communicated to Kuwaiti officials at the beginning of the investigation into this case." Qasemi ultimately warned that Iran "reserves the right to take reciprocal action regarding the reduction of diplomatic staff between the two countries." Reports indicate that the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry also summoned Alireza Enayati, the Iranian ambassador to Kuwait, on Thursday to officially inform him about the expulsion of Iranian diplomats and the closure of Iran's commercial, cultural, and military offices. Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported that Enayati is one of the diplomats ordered to be expelled. The report states that with the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador from Kuwait, the Iranian embassy in the country will be managed by the chargé d'affaires. ISNA also noted that the Kuwaiti government's order to close the Iranian cultural attaché's office indicates that "the cultural attaché in Kuwait returned to Tehran long ago, and currently, the mentioned office is not officially active in the country."