Kuwait crackdown leaves Iranian community caught in war

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait (MNTV) — Iranian residents in Kuwait say they are increasingly caught between the widening US-Iran conflict and a government crackdown that has placed their community under mounting pressure.

The Iranian community, numbering about 52,000 people, has faced heightened scrutiny since the war erupted, with some businesses removing references to Iran from their names and residents describing a growing atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.

One Persian restaurant in Kuwait City recently removed the words “Iranian cuisine” from its name, according to AFP, reflecting the sensitivity surrounding Iranian identity as Kuwait faces repeated attacks linked to the regional conflict.

An employee said the restaurant’s management removed the reference to Iran because of the political climate, although business had not suffered as a result.

Iranian residents interviewed for the report said they wanted only to continue working and living peacefully in Kuwait. 

Arab News reported one resident, identified by the pseudonym Hussein, as saying that he had lived in the country for 18 years and had built a large fabric business in the capital.

“We are going through an extremely difficult time,” Hussein said, adding that he did not want tensions between Kuwait and Iran to damage relations between the two countries.

The pressure has intensified as Iran has repeatedly launched missile and drone attacks against Kuwait during the war. Kuwait has been struck heavily during periods of escalation, with attacks reportedly targeting oil facilities, civilian infrastructure and US military installations.

A recent drone attack caused a fire at a residential complex in Kuwait City, adding to fears among residents already living under the strain of prolonged regional warfare.

But alongside the security threat posed by the conflict, Iranian residents have also faced increasingly restrictive measures from Kuwaiti authorities.

Kuwait has arrested people suspected of links to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, while the country’s only Iranian school was closed by authorities last month.

The measures have created an uneasy situation for Iranian residents who say they are being forced to navigate suspicion and political hostility despite having no role in the conflict.

“We just want to live and earn our daily bread,” said Ali, an Iranian resident who also spoke under a pseudonym.

Ali said he had not personally experienced harassment but described a widespread sense of anxiety within the Iranian community.

“Of course, we feel caught in the middle,” he said.

The crackdown comes despite longstanding economic and social ties between Kuwait and Iran. Bilateral trade was worth about $300 million in 2024, with Iranian exports including food, agricultural products, fish, carpets and construction materials.

Iranian merchants have also become part of Kuwait’s commercial landscape, particularly in traditional markets such as Mubarakiyah.

A Kuwaiti woman told AFP that Iranians were deeply embedded in the country’s history and that it was difficult to imagine Kuwait without them.

The experience of Iranian residents illustrates the human cost of a conflict in which ordinary communities can become targets of suspicion simply because of their nationality.

While Kuwait faces legitimate security concerns amid Iranian attacks, the reported closure of an Iranian school, arrests over suspected Iranian links and pressure on Iranian businesses have raised questions about whether ordinary residents are being made to bear the consequences of a war they did not choose.