Iran–Kuwait relations
Kuwait has friendly relations with Iran. Kuwait describes its relations with Iran as "excellent and historical".
Kuwait is the only Gulf State that has maintained formal ties with Iran after US President Donald Trump announced withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE voiced strong support for the withdrawal, which Kuwait did not join.
Kuwait's plans for regional development, including the "Silk City project" that aims to develop the Kuwaiti Islands, includes developing mutually beneficial economic ties with Iran.
Historically, Kuwait had close political, economic, and cultural ties to Iran. However in the 1980s, Kuwait sided with Iraq in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War.
In 2017, Kuwait ordered the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador after 23 Kuwaiti men were convicted of spying for Hezbollah.
Despite these concerns, Kuwait's relations with Iran are friendly and Kuwait declined to follow Saudi Arabia's lead in severing diplomatic relations following the 2016 attack on the Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.
'Ajam of Kuwait are Kuwaiti citizens of Iranian origin, who migrated to Kuwait over the last couple of hundred years. Historically, Persian ports provided most of Kuwait's economic needs. Marafi Behbahani was one of the first merchants to settle in Kuwait in the 18th century.
The majority of Shia Kuwaiti citizens are of Iranian ancestry. However, some Kuwaitis of Iranian origin are Sunni. The Kuwaitis of Iranian Balochi origin are predominantly Sunni Muslim. Balochi families first immigrated to Kuwait in the 19th century.
The Persian sub-dialects of Larestani, Khonji, Bastaki and Gerashi have influenced the vocabulary of Kuwaiti Arabic.
