Iran and the Blackmail of Kuwait
Opinion
Salman Al-Dossary
No government has ever overcome obstacles in its relationship with Iran such as Kuwait, and no country has ever tolerated Iranian terrorism like Kuwait. But this has not spared the country direct abuse and incitement against it. Perhaps the Iranian officials’ claim that Kuwait was involved in the killing of Iran’s Al-Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and the deputy chief of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was a natural reflection of its arrogant policy that does not differentiate between an enemy and a friend. Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Force, said that the MQ-9 aircraft used by the US forces to kill Soleimani took off from Ali al-Salem airbase in Kuwait, in clear incitement and flagrant violation of diplomatic relations between the two countries. This reveals the extent to which the regime in Tehran does not miss any opportunity to emphasize the lack of trust with its neighbors, even with Kuwait, which is very keen to avoid a rupture with the Iranian neighbor, despite all of Iran’s aggressive behavior. Iran’s position may be surprising to the observers and those who are willing to keep Tehran-Kuwait relations alive. The Iranian statements were clear and shocking and hinted at inciting Shiite militias in Iraq to target Kuwaiti facilities, especially after those militias threatened to target any party that was involved in Soleimani and al-Muhandis’ killing. On the other hand, those who accustomed to the depths of Iranian policy were not surprised at all. As opposed to Qatar, Kuwait refuses to be an obedient ally to Iran. Doha enjoys a special standing in Tehran and is paying an exorbitant price for it. All reports confirmed that the plane that killed Soleimani took off from Al-Udeid US airbase in Qatar. This has led Iran to escalate its rhetoric against Kuwait and ignore Qatar. Iran’s dangerous incitement against Kuwait is just one of hundreds of examples of how the country runs its diplomatic affairs. Whoever thinks that it is possible to appease the Iranian behavior will be sadly mistaken. The Gulf states, such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, have experienced this diplomacy for many years, and were only met with more hostility, incitement and interference in their internal affairs. The Iranian regime, which dreams about exporting its revolution, does not favor balanced peer-to-peer relations, but prefers to have the strongest and loudest voice, especially when it comes to the Gulf states. A clear proof of that is Iran’s relation with Qatar. As long as a country like Kuwait does not accept such a distorted relationship, the result is that abuses and transgressions will continue without the slightest consideration of the most basic concepts of international diplomacy. This was reflected in recent statements by Kuwait’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Khaled Al-Jarallah, who said his country, which summoned the Iranian ambassador over the accusations, had not received any response from Tehran about Kuwait’s complaint. The Iranian policy of demonization and incitement against Kuwait, in light of the tension in the region, is new proof that the country is incapable of coexisting with its neighbors without constantly creating chaos in all states surrounding it. It is also a proof that the lie of dialogue that it boasts of is nothing but a renewed desire to buy time, and another means that helps it reach its basic goal of imposing its hegemony over the region. This reality was summed up by Saudi Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman, who said his country was working on development through Vision 2030, while Iran was committed to its 1979 revolutionary vision. So who still believes that the Iranian regime can be a peaceful friend one day?!
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2102971/salman-al-dossary/iran-and-blackmail-kuwait
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