Kuwait expels Iranian diplomats amid escalating regional proxy conflicts and unaddressed structural tensions
Original framing: “Kuwait demands two Iran embassy staff leave after deadly attack” — Middle East Eye
This incident echoes centuries of Gulf conflicts, from the Ottoman-Persian wars to the 1980s Iran-Iraq War, where proxy battles over trade routes and sectarian identity were normalized. The 1991 Gulf War’s aftermath saw the rise of non-state actors (e.g., Hezbollah, Peshmerga) that now operate as state proxies, blurring lines between war and diplomacy. Kuwait’s 1990 invasion by Iraq also set a precedent for Gulf states using external threats to justify militarization.
This incident is not an isolated diplomatic spat but a symptom of a Gulf security architecture built on militarization, sectarian division, and resource competition, where state violence is normalized as ‘deterrence.
’ The expulsion of Iranian diplomats obscures how both Kuwait and Iran rely on external enemies to justify their militaries, while marginalized communities—from Yemeni civilians to Ahwazi tribes—bear the brunt of these policies. Historical precedents, from the Iran-Iraq War to the 1991 Gulf War, show that retaliation only deepens instability, yet the cycle persists due to unaccountable state actors and a lack of grassroots alternatives. Indigenous knowledge systems, artistic traditions, and women-led peace networks offer pathways to de-escalation, but they are systematically excluded from formal diplomacy. A systemic solution requires reimagining Gulf security around shared resources and historical truth, not state posturing—something only possible through radical institutional reform and cross-border solidarity.