Kuwait expels Iranian diplomats accused of spying

KUWAIT HAS ANNOUNCED IT is to expel a number of Iranian diplomats in an escalating dispute over alleged spying.

Kuwait’s foreign minister Mohammed al-Sabah said that an unspecified number of Iranian diplomats would be expelled, the AFP reports, for alleged links to a spy ring.

Over the past year, Kuwait has claimed that Iran was involved in a spy ring which carried out surveillance of US and Kuwaiti military sites since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Iran has denied the accusations.

Three members of the spy ring have been sentenced to death.

Cabinet resigns

Earlier today, Kuwait’s cabinet resigned en masse to prevent ministers facing questions from parliament. Reuters reports that the parliament has triggered a number of resignations and reshuffles through its grilling of cabinet members.

Such questioning is considered a direct challenge on the minister involved and an indirect challenge on the ruling emir. Al Jazeera reports that parliament had asked to question three ministers who are all members of the ruling al-Sabah family.

Ruler Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah is expected to re-appointment the prime minister, Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah, who is also his nephew.