Kuwait has declared two Iranian diplomats persona non grata and ordered them to leave the country within 24 hours in response to the latest Iranian attacks on its territory.
The number of staff at the Iranian embassy in the emirate will also be reduced, the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday.
The chargé d’affaires of the Iranian Embassy in Kuwait was summoned to the Foreign Ministry. There, the government handed him a formal note of protest against what Kuwait describes as ongoing Iranian attacks.
The decision was taken in response to the overnight Iranian attacks using ballistic missiles and drones. The attacks targeted several civilian facilities and vital infrastructure, including Kuwait International Airport.
At least one person was killed and more than 60 civilians were injured in the overnight attacks.
Those injured included civilians, workers at the airport and travellers, the ministry added. Some serious cases underwent emergency surgeries, according to a Foreign Ministry spokesman.
The injuries included fractures, head wounds, brain bleeds and limb amputations, the official said.
Kuwait's armed forces said they had intercepted 13 Iranian missiles and 17 Iranian drones.
Kuwait described the attacks as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty, its territorial integrity, the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law.
The armed forces were ready to take "any steps" necessary to protect the security and stability of the Gulf state, a spokesman for the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defence said.
The US military said it had intercepted a "wave of Iranian drones" that had targeted US military facilities in the small country.
Bahrain, another Gulf state, said on Wednesday its air defences had intercepted three missiles and several drones. No information on potential casualties or damage was given.
The army of the island kingdom, home to the United States 5th Fleet, accused Iran of continuing its "systematic hostile approach" by carrying out drone and missile attacks against the country.
Since the US and Israel unleashed a bombing campaign on Iran in late February, Iran has repeatedly attacked Kuwait and Bahrain and other Gulf states that host US military facilities.
