KUWAIT: Kuwait will not allow its lands to be used as a base for any possible military strike against Iran, said a senior official, expressing "concern" at recent US military activities in the region. While the general feeling is that the situation in Iran is under control, the official said, "given the improbability of [Israel] opening foreign fronts in the Gulf or in Lebanon," there are concerns that Israel might go ahead with a military strike on Iran, "which would leave the United States with no option but to engage in a military conflict.

The current "freeze" in the Middle East peace process further supports these concerns since this might lead the US to decide to work on settling the Iranian nuclear issue "by any means necessary." The official also pointed out that there are currently US forces deployed in Iraq on secondary missions, "who could be used for carrying out other missions," reported Al-Qabas.

Asked to comment on the New York Times report regarding the missile shield deployed by the US in the Gulf region, a spokesperson at the US Embassy in Kuwait emphasized the "deep-rooted and strong relations between the two countries, as well as the mutual security support," suggesting that those concerned over the issue should refer to the US Department of Defense website or the Kuwaiti government for further information.

Meanwhile, an Iranian official said that Iranians see the recent military activity that has reportedly been taking place in the region as "a way for the American media to spread panic among Gulf citizens and [to attempt to] make Iran look like it's trying to take control of the region.

The official reiterated Iranian parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani's assertions during a recent visit to Kuwait that Iran has no negative intentions against any other nation in the region and supported Larijani's claim that hidden forces had been misrepresenting his words to suggest that they were threats.

Iran only has a problem with those who "seek to disrupt the region for personal gains," the official said, in a clear reference to the United States, which he accused of attempting to turn global attitudes against Iran in order to deflect attention from its own economic problems. - Kuwait Times