Senior Kuwaiti Parliament Representative: Iran is the 'Real Enemy' of Regional Countries

The head of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Kuwaiti Parliament has described Iran as the 'real enemy' of Sunni Arab countries in the Persian Gulf region. Hamad Al-Harshani stated in a statement on August 30 that 'it has become clear to everyone that Iran is an enemy that is conspiring to overthrow governments and destroy our resources, and is the real enemy of the region.' The French news agency describes this statement as 'the harshest criticism in recent years' from a country that generally has better relations with Iran compared to other Gulf states. He also referred to the explosion on Friday in Bahrain as 'another witness to Iran's violence.' Following the explosion in a predominantly Shia area of Bahrain, one police officer was killed and seven others were injured. Before the release of the Kuwaiti Foreign Relations Committee Chairman's statement, the Bahraini Minister of Information had said that the explosives used in this attack were 'very similar' to materials that 'came from Iran' and were seized by Bahraini authorities last month. Iran has previously denied Bahrain's accusations regarding the transfer of explosives and weapons to that country. In his statement, Hamad Al-Harshani accused Iran of creating 'chaos' in the region and urged Arab countries to increase their security cooperation. The governments of Iran and Kuwait have relatively low-tension relations compared to Tehran's relations with other regional countries. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, who recently visited Kuwait, described Tehran-Kuwait relations as 'growing.' Tehran has tense relations with other regional countries over various issues, including support for Shia groups in Bahrain and other Middle Eastern countries, the Houthis in Yemen, and Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria. Saudi Arabia and most Sunni countries in the region are among the opponents of the Houthis and the Assad government; they have conducted airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen and supported some rebels opposing Assad in Syria. Mr. Al-Harshani is mainly considered a defender of Saudi policies. In May, he had a physical altercation with another representative who opposed the Saudi-led coalition's airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. In this context, Zarif called for the establishment of a 'Regional Dialogue Forum' in the Middle East, emphasizing the Gulf Cooperation Council's 'importance of cooperation with Iran.'