MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Kuwaiti government reduced the number of Iranian diplomats engaged in service in Kuwait from 19 to 4. The reduction of the number of Iranian diplomats followed the decision delivered by a Kuwaiti court in the case of the so-called Al-Abdali terror cell, whose members were accused of undergoing training in Iran under the direction of Hezbollah.
"While rejecting the accusations, Iran expresses regret on measures taken by Kuwaiti officials amid tensions in the region and in such a critical condition; we expect Kuwait to act rationally instead of responding to pressures and worsening the tensions," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi was quoted as saying by the Mehr news agency.
Earlier in the day, Sky News Arabia broadcaster reported, citing its own sources, that Kuwait had sent a diplomatic note to Iran's embassy stating that the office of military and cultural attaches would be closed down. The note also said that 15 Iranian diplomats would have to leave the country within 45 days, leaving only four Iranian diplomats in Kuwait.
