AMIR HOLDS CRISIS TALKS WITH SAUDI CROWN PRINCE, UAE LEADER

Arab Times

22-06-2025

KUWAIT CITY, June 22: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Sunday received a phone call from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al-Saud.
During the telephone call, they touched on the solid ties between the two countries and the latest developments in the Middle East; particularly the ongoing conflict between Iran and the usurping Israeli entity. His Highness the Amir also received a phone call from President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on the same day. The two sides reviewed the brotherly relations between the two countries; and discussed the latest developments in the Middle East, the conflict between Iran and Israel, and the regional and international developments.
On the other hand, His Highness the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Defense Council Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on Sunday presided over the meeting of the Supreme Defense Council at Seif Palace, during which they tackled the most recent regional developments. The council members followed the coordination by authorities to ensure swift action and enhance their level of preparedness. The council decided to be in session to follow up the regional developments.
Meanwhile, as part of the State of Kuwait's commitment to guarantee the safety of its citizens abroad and their safe return to the homeland, the second batch of flights arrived Sunday to evacuate Kuwaiti citizens from Iran. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is implementing this evacuation plan through the Republic of Turkmenistan in coordination with the concerned authorities. The concerned authorities are working round the clock to complete the evacuation phases and provide all the necessary facilities to the evacuees, in accordance with the directives of the political leadership and the ongoing commitment to ensure the safety of citizens abroad and their safe return to the country.
In addition, Kuwait expressed its deep concern over the latest developments in Iran, specifically the targeting of Iranian nuclear facilities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed Kuwait's position as outlined in its statement issued on June 13, 2025; condemning the aggression against the sovereignty of Iran and the violation of international laws and conventions. It also urged the international community and the United Nations Security Council to assume their responsibilities toward halting these violations in order to maintain security and stability in the region. The ministry called for immediate halt to all forms of escalation and all military actions, and for resorting to dialogue, as well as intensifying efforts aimed at finding political solutions that can ensure regional security and stability. Kuwait National Guard (KNG) announced on Sunday that radiation levels in the air and water throughout the country remain stable, confirming that the situation is 'normal.'
In a press statement, the Moral Guidance Directorate at KNG said the Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah Center for Chemical Defense and Radiation Monitoring carries out accurate and continuous radiation level readings through its monitoring networks, installed in various parts of the country.
Earlier, the US launched military strikes on the nuclear facilities in Iran with President Donald Trump deeming the operation as 'successful'. Vice Chief of Staff of the Kuwaiti Army Air Vice Marshal Sheikh Sabah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah conducted a field visit at the Amiri Guard on Sunday to personally look into the level of readiness at the Army, and ensure combative ability and bolster State security. Major General Bader Al-Sahloul and Amiri Guard Commander Major General Adel Al-Kandari welcomed Sheikh Sabah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah during the visit. He was briefed on readiness levels and the duties of Amiri Guard units, and was taken to a number of sites to look into the latest security and preventative measures. He commended the discipline and efforts of Amiri guard personnel in performing their duties.
Furthermore, Abdally border has received more than 39,000 people since Saturday -- easing their entry and departure to their countries through Kuwait, as per the directive of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah to facilitate the passage of travelers stranded in Iran due to the regional developments. Director of the border Colonel Waleed Al-Azmi confirmed that Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef issued instructions to facilitate entry and departure procedures through the border for all Kuwaiti travelers, citizens and residents of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, members of diplomatic missions and embassy staff. Al-Azmi disclosed in an interview with Al-Akhbar Channel that some humanitarian exceptions have been made at the border, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to overcome all difficulties for the entry of certain nationalities. He said these exceptions include granting them a seven-day transit visa to pass through the border to Kuwait International Airport and then travel to their home countries. 'This is in addition to travelers who entered the country through the airport and then crossed through Abdally border,' he stated. He added that, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, comprehensive medical services have been provided at the border; indicating ambulances are available round the clock and a doctor is on duty to examine patients arriving at the border. 'This is part of the government's emergency plan under the current circumstances. Some patients have been transferred to hospitals,' he revealed.
In light of the rumors and misinformation circulating on unofficial social media, he urged the public to obtain information from official and reliable sources to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the information.
Also, in a press statement Sunday, the Ministry of Finance confirmed the activation of its emergency plan to ensure financial service continuity with high efficiency and to maintain government performance under all circumstances. The ministry indicated that it has taken a number of precautionary measures; such as equipping shelters in the eastern and southern ministries complex with full technical and service capabilities to accommodate about 900 people. These shelters are classified as C4 and are in excellent condition. Storage facilities in the eastern parking lot are also allocated for use when needed.
The measures include activating the financial systems (Oracle and GFMIS) using alternative devices, while enabling remote work in a secure electronic environment through specialized protection programs. In addition, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jassem Mohammad Al-Budaiwi stressed that targeting Iranian nuclear facilities by the US will escalate tensions and affect the security and stability in the region. He said the GCC affirmed the contents of the statement issued at the 48th Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting of the GCC Ministerial Council regarding developments in the region, and the GCC's condemnation of everything that threatens the security and stability of the region. He also underscored the need for an immediate ceasefire, for all parties to exert joint efforts to de-escalate tensions, adopt diplomacy as an effective means of resolving conflicts, and exercise the highest level of self-restraint to spare the region and its people the dangers of war.
Elsewhere, Bahrain activated on Sunday a remote working policy for 70 percent of employees in ministries and government entities, citing regional tensions. The decision excludes sectors where physical presence is essential or which have specific procedures in place for emergencies, as reported by the Bahrain News Agency. The policy will be implemented in line with public safety requirements until further notice.
Meanwhile, Bahrain's Interior Ministry urged the public on social media platform X to use main roads only when necessary, so as to maintain public safety and allow the relevant authorities to use the roads efficiently. Additionally, the Bahraini Education Ministry activated digital platforms for educational activities as a precautionary measure under an approved plan for all educational institutions. in oil prices as a result of the dependence of most countries -- including Europe -- on Gulf oil. He cited as evidence the role of Saudi Arabia in the 1973 War when King Faisal made his historic decision to ban the export of oil in the heat of that war, which led to the cessation of the use of cars in Europe and made the residents of European countries return to riding bicycles. Continued from Page 1 The United States inserted itself into Israel's war against Iran early Sunday by dropping 30,000-pound bombs on an uranium enrichment site buried under a mountain, a risky gambit that aimed to destroy the Islamic Republic's nuclear program after months of failed diplomacy. The attack prompted fears of a wider regional conflict as Iran lashed out at the U.S. for crossing 'a very big red line.' The U.S. also fired dozens of missiles, and President Donald Trump said in a televised address from the White House that the combination of strikes 'completely and fully obliterated' three nuclear sites.
However, U.S. defense officials said an assessment of the damage wrought by the attack still was ongoing. Hours later, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the time for diplomacy had passed and that his country had the right to defend itself. Araghchi said he would immediate fly to Moscow to coordinate positions with its ally, Russia. 'The warmongering and lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression,' he told reporters in Turkey in the first comments by a high-ranking Iranian official since the strikes. 'They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities.' The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran confirmed that attacks took place on the Fordo and Natanz enrichment facilities as well as its Isfahan nuclear site, but it insisted that its nuclear program will not be stopped.
Both Iran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog said there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination around the three locations following the strikes. Countries around the globe are calling for diplomacy and no further escalation. It was not clear whether the U.S. would continue attacking Iran alongside its ally Israel, which has been engaged in a war with Iran for nine days. But U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. does not 'seek war' and that the operation would not be 'open-ended,' though Trump earlier warned there would be additional strikes if Tehran retaliated against U.S. forces. 'There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,' said Trump, who acted without congressional authorization.
With the attack, the United States has inserted itself into a war it spent decades trying to avoid because of the dizzyingly high stakes. Success would mean ending Iran's nuclear ambitions once and for all and eliminating the last significant threat to Israel's security. But failure - or overreach - could plunge the U.S. into the vortex of another long and unpredictable conflict in the Middle East. For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this is the culmination of a decades long campaign to get the U.S. to strike Israel's chief regional rival and its disputed nuclear program. For Iran's supreme leader, the 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, it could mark the end of a similarly ambitious campaign to transform the Islamic Republic into a regional power and counterweight to the West.