Tehran: Iran said on Monday that it was disappointed at Kuwait’s decision to reduce the number of Iranian diplomats in the country, but said its ambassador would remain.
Kuwait announced last week that 15 Iranian diplomats would have to leave within six weeks in response to the conviction of a “terror” cell with alleged links to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
“We did not expect this from Kuwait,” foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said, according to the IRNA news agency.
“The ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to be present in Kuwait and the embassy will be active at the ambassadorial level, and there is no problem in this regard,” Qasemi was quoted as saying.
“(Kuwait’s) action is reprehensible but we can continue our talks and contacts,” Qasemi said, quoted by IRNA.
“We have always maintained positive relations with Kuwait in the Gulf region,” he added.
Kuwait’s supreme court last week convicted 21 people of belonging to a cell trained and formed by the Revolutionary Guards — an allegation which Iran said was “baseless”.
Kuwait, which has a sizeable Shiite majority, has had tense relations with Iran, although it has tried to act more as a mediator in regional disputes.
Kuwait also told Iran’s cultural and military missions to shut down.
Iran responded to the expulsions by filing a complaint with the Kuwaiti charge d’affaires.
Kuwait greatly reduced its diplomatic presence in Tehran last year after its ally Saudi Arabia completely severed relations with Iran, although it kept a charge d’affaires and two officials.
— AFP, Reuters
