Kuwaiti, Iranian relations historic, rooted in mutual respect
KUWAIT CITY: 'We certainly welcome every positive initiative that is serious and clear with all countries,' Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs Ambassador Sameh Hayat affirmed when reporters asked him about the exchange of visits between Kuwait and Iran on the sidelines of the Iranian Embassy's celebration of the 46th National Day. Several ambassadors and diplomats attended the event.
Hayat pointed out 'We are here to congratulate the ambassador, leadership, government, and the friendly people of Iran on the occasion of their 46th National Day. The relationship between Kuwait and Iran is long and historical. Iran is a large Muslim neighbor. Whatever is between us is based on mutual respect and appreciation.' On the other hand, Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait Mohammad Totonji confirmed that Iran and Kuwait are friendly countries enjoying the oldest relationship in West Asia. He said 'Our historical ties are based on mutual respect, while common values are used as the basis for strengthening affection and cooperation between us.'
He also pointed out that 'our peoples, in addition to geographical commonalities in the cultural, religious and social fields, have strong kinship and marriage relations. This rapprochement paves the way for the development of our relations in the future.'
He added that the approach adopted by the Islamic Republic of Iran at various stages, especially during the era of His Excellency Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, is based on national consensus at home by prioritizing relations with neighboring countries, as well as strengthening political and economic ties with regional and neighboring countries. He said the strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran includes dialogue, understanding, emphasizing diplomacy, and mutual respect to reach common denominators in its relations with other countries, especially with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, 'so that our relations with GCC countries enter a new phase of prosperity.'
He disclosed the starting point of such moves was the meeting of the foreign ministers of the GCC countries and Iran in Doha, and the visit of Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Araghchi to Kuwait and other countries in the region. He believes it is necessary to honor the memory of the martyrs of the resistance and point out that the ceasefire agreement in Gaza is the result of the resistance, courage, chivalry, and steadfastness of the great Palestinian people; as well as the fact that Gaza is experiencing one of the largest genocide and forced displacement throughout history. He also cited the solidarity and cooperation of the people of Gaza with the valiant resistance and their steadfastness in facing forced displacement; stressing this is considered a historic victory for the Palestinian people, the Palestinian resistance, and all supporters and lovers of the resistance in the region and the world. He stressed that Iran is one of the leading countries in the field of nanotechnology, natural technologies, knowledge,e, and research centers. 'Iranian knowledge-based companies have made giant strides in various fields, such as the production of modern medicines and advanced medical equipment
© Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Middle East Eye
5 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
These questions are often ignored in the Israel-Iran story. We asked a panel of experts
Israel's attacks on Iran on Friday and the killing of several high-level figures in its military and science sectors have roiled the region. Tensions between the two nations are well-documented and longstanding, and both the US and Israel have carried out attacks like this, albeit on a smaller scale, on other prominent Iranian figures in the past. But why does this keep happening, and how is the US trying to distance itself from it? Can Israel go this far without expecting its own officials to be targeted? And exactly how dangerous is it to strike nuclear facilities on either side? Middle East Eye put the lesser-asked questions to five experts on international relations, conflict, nuclear proliferation, and the region at large. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Here is what they said, edited for length and clarity. If the US was informed ahead of time and also supplied weapons to Israel, how can Secretary of State Marco Rubio say the US was not involved? Jamal Abdi, President, National Iranian American Council: "This is about creating a narrative of plausible deniability to potentially give Iran a face-saving way to continue talking to the United States [towards a new nuclear deal]. I don't think it's going to work, and I think Trump has already stepped all over that by now, basically taking credit, after seeming to distance the US." Anthony Wanis-St John, conflict resolution specialist, American University: "It's a verbal obfuscation. It means that operationally, we didn't support it." Miles Pomper, Senior Fellow, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation: "Because the Russians and the Chinese are affiliated with the Iranians, [the US will] try not to elevate the level to something beyond a regional conflict, to some global conflict." What is the difference between a 'preemptive strike' and a 'preventive strike'. Are they not both acts of war? Wanis-St. John: "These are certainly acts of war. There's no question about it, the Israelis like to call attention and use "preemptive" and "preventive" doctrines in their military strikes, since every country under international laws and norms is allowed to defend itself against aggression, but no country is supposed to lawfully commit aggressions against another country." Sam Ratner, policy director, Win Without War: "'Preemptive strike' does seem to be, from a definitional standpoint, a misnomer from Israel... this is a war of choice from [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu." Pomper: "It's not a preemptive strike, because that would be [like] the Six Day War, where the planes are on the tarmac and about to attack you, and then you hit them. 'Preventive' is a stop to a long-term threat to Israel. And you know the Iranians aren't shy about threatening." Negar Mortazavi, host of the Iran Podcast: "If it's not [couched as] preemptive, then it will be seen differently both from the public opinion and the global opinion... and we know that Israel cares a lot about its image, about its standing in the international community, and that has deteriorated very fast [since its war on Gaza]." The international community has long tolerated, and sometimes cheered on, Israel's string of extra-judicial assassinations. Why? Abdi: "Israel has a lot of political power and very important friends, most importantly, the United States." Mortazavi: "Powerful western countries have provided not just financial and armed support, but also diplomatic support and cover to Israel in the UN Security Council... the contradiction - or in a way, that oxymoron - that Israel is dealing with, is that they're a country that came out of the United Nations [in 1948]." Ratner: "In the post-9/11 era in particular, we've seen not just from the Israeli government, but from Iranian governments, including our own, in fact, and in particular our own, a real sort of generational change of attitude toward the use of assassination. We see it in our drone programme. The erosion of the norm against assassination is bad for diplomacy, bad for international relations, and bad for peace." Looking at the nature of Israel's attacks, can Iran retaliate in the same way? Wanis-St John: "I'm not sure that they can, operationally. I've never seen Iran do that against Israel.... you really need a lot of information about where [targets] are and where they're moving and how they're protected at night. That requires a lot of infrastructure. I'm not sure that the Iranians have that." Abdi: "If we're saying there are no laws, there is no accountability, you can conduct extra-judicial killings with impunity, then it would seem that would no longer restrain any actor from engaging in the same types of activities. But we know that that's not how the world works, and that certain countries have been given a carte blanche to do whatever they want." Mortazavi: "The condemnation would be so different... imagine if the same was done by Iran. Israeli officials also have homes and families." Why can't Iran have a nuclear bomb if Israel does? Mortazavi: "Iran is a signatory to the NPT, the Non-Proliferation Treaty. They have committed to not building nuclear weapons [and] they have a civilian programme. According to US intelligence, they don't have a weapons programme. At the same time, Israel has an undeclared weapons programme [and] many nuclear warheads. They're not a signatory to any international monitoring and safeguards." Ratner: "Our position on this is that we are opposed to nuclear proliferation and [in favour of] nuclear disarmament. Nuclear weapons are unimaginably destructive forces, and the more hands those weapons are in, the more likely that nuclear warfare becomes. If we add another country to the nuclear club, how many more countries will join?" Abdi: "Iran has threatened before that if something like [Friday's attacks] happened, they would abandon the NPT, and then there would be no international law saying they're not allowed to build nuclear weapons. They could do what Israel did, and develop a clandestine programme, and not be held accountable to any treaties or agreements or anything, and it's just the law of the jungle, and everybody gets a nuke." Israel has always said it wants to take out Iran's nuclear facilities. Isn't that dangerous? Pomper: "I think, as opposed to attacking a nuclear power plant that's got actual radioactive material, like Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine, it's different... You don't have that kind of concentration. And so you may have environmental and other damages, but you're not likely to get a widespread radiation danger from it." Wanis-St John: "They shouldn't really be targeted if they're not military programmes. No one has said that the Iranians are building a nuclear weapon at this time. They don't claim to be making one, and nobody on the outside claims that they are making one... The Israeli attack is really meant to send them a signal that any progress towards weapons-grade enrichment is not going to be tolerated by Israel." Ratner: "The bigger concern... is that Iran has made clear statements and threats that if the Israeli government strikes its nuclear facilities, that it will respond by striking US targets in the region. And what we see from Benjamin Netanyahu is a desire for exactly that to happen. His interest is in starting a chain of events that drags the US into war on his side, because the Israeli military would have a very difficult time pursuing regime change in Iran on its own."
Zawya
5 hours ago
- Zawya
US tariffs, lower oil prices may slow down FDI flows into GCC: Report
Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the GCC region are expected to slow down in 2025 after a decade of rapid growth, S&P Global Market Intelligence said in its latest outlook report. The slowdown is attributed to investor uncertainties, reflecting changing US trade policies, lower oil prices, and a more gradual development of GCC diversification projects. In the near term, the report forecasts a net negative impact on global FDI, primarily due to the indirect repercussions of US tariffs, a weaker oil price outlook and reduced global investor confidence. Lower oil prices, reflecting expectations of weaker oil demand and increasing OPEC supply, are likely to constrain the foreign exchange earnings generation capacity of large MENA hydrocarbon exporters. This, in turn, will limit their capacity to act as major investors in other countries within the region. While the GCC states have committed to investing large amounts of FDI in the US economy, such outflows are likely to reduce capital available for investment in non-GCC MENA states, which remain 'attractive venues' for renewable energy and tourism developments, the report said. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, FDI in the region has shifted from hydrocarbons to infrastructure, renewable energy, logistics, tourism, and construction. This is likely to continue, complemented by areas such as auto sector investments in Morocco, but aggregate flows are likely to remain dominated by GCC states. However, a weaker US dollar could support the external competitiveness of GCC countries with currencies pegged to the dollar, the report said.
Middle East Eye
5 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Exclusive: US quietly sent hundreds of Hellfire missiles to Israel before Iran attack
The US quietly delivered hundreds of Hellfire missiles to Israel before its unprecedented attack on Iran on Friday, Middle East Eye can reveal. The US sent around 300 Hellfire missiles to Israel on Tuesday in a large-scale stock-up of supplies before its attack, and as the Trump administration was saying it was ready to continue engaging Iran in nuclear talks. The transfer of such a large quantity of Hellfires suggests that the Trump administration was well-informed of Israel's plans to attack the Islamic Republic of Iran, two US officials told MEE on the condition of anonymity. The US's delivery of Hellfires or other large quantities of weapons in the lead up to Friday's attack has not been previously reported. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles that were headed towards Israel, two US officials told Reuters on Friday. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Hellfires are laser-guided air-to-ground missiles. They would not be useful for Israel to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities, but for precision strikes. Israel's military used more than 100 aircraft in its attack on Friday, which used precision tracking to target senior military officials, nuclear scientists, and command centres. 'There is a time and place for Hellfires. They were useful to Israel,' one senior US defence official told MEE. Israel killed scores of senior Iranian officials and nuclear scientists on Friday. Whether with a green light or grudging acceptance, Trump enters war with Iran Read More » The dead include: the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami; Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces; and Ali Shamkhani, a close aide to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Trump administration knew about Israel's attack plans for months. MEE revealed earlier this month that the CIA was briefed in April and May on Israeli plans to unilaterally attack Iran's nuclear sites. Israel's Target Systems Analysis and battle plan for cyberattacks combined with precision strikes without any direct US involvement 'impressed' the administration. But Trump's behaviour in recent months gave observers, and potentially the Iranians, the impression that he would continue to resist Netanyahu's very public lobbying to go along with strikes. Axios reported on Friday, citing two Israeli officials, that the Trump administration was only 'pretending' to resist Israel's attack plans, but privately did not resist them. Trump has since framed his approach as saying that he gave Iran a 60-day window to agree to a new nuclear agreement with his administration before launching strikes. Israeli media reported the 60-day deadline in March 2025. The Trump administration began talks with Iran on 12 April 2025, and the Israeli attack took place exactly 61 days later. The talks in recent weeks hit a wall over the US's insistence that Iran agree not to enrich any uranium, while Tehran said that preserving its right to a low level of enrichment was a red line. Throughout the negotiations, the Trump administration continued a steady supply of arms and weapons to Israel in recent months, two US officials told MEE. The US did not have to provide public notification of the transfer because it was already approved as part of a $7.4bn arms deal that included bombs, missiles, and related equipment that Congress was notified of in February 2025.
