Kuwait summons Iranian ambassador after Tehran denies assassination plot

Kuwait summoned Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Totonchi on Wednesday to protest against Tehran’s denial that an Iranian citizen was involved in an alleged plot to assassinate senior Kuwaiti officials.

Iran’s embassy rejected the allegation, saying the individual concerned had not been in Kuwait for 10 years and describing the accusations as false.

The dispute follows a Kuwaiti court ruling on Monday sentencing three defendants to death for alleged espionage for Iran and Hezbollah and plotting to assassinate senior officials, including First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Fahad Al-Yousef. Eight other defendants received five-year prison sentences, Kuwaiti media reported.

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Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen television identified one of those sentenced to death as Iranian national Abdulreza Haidar Dehqani. Kuwaiti authorities have not disclosed the identities or nationalities of all 11 defendants.

Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry said it had delivered a formal protest note to the Iranian ambassador, accusing Tehran’s embassy of interfering in Kuwait’s internal affairs and undermining its judicial independence.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated since the Israeli-US war against Iran began in late February. Kuwait condemned Iranian strikes on what Tehran described as US targets in Kuwait, saying they had hit civilian sites and infrastructure.

Iran had not immediately commented on Kuwait’s protest.

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