Behind the Rumors of an Iranian Spy Ring

26 May 2010 | 16:25 Code : 7656 General category
Interview with Mohammad Farazmand, Iran’s former ambassador to Bahrain.
Behind the Rumors of an Iranian Spy Ring
The news reported (by Al-Qabas daily) on May 1, 2010, was that security forces in Kuwait had dismantled a spy ring they believed was working for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). Iran immediately dismissed the report as a "ploy to cause regional phobia towards the IRGC and its efforts to promote security in the Middle East."

Mohammad Farazmand, Iran’s former ambassador to Bahrain recently answered Iran Diplomacy’s questions on the rumor and on Iran-Kuwait relations:

Why are there rumors spreading around about the so-called dismantling in Kuwait of a spy ring related to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards?

Kuwaiti officials have not confirmed such rumors, but during the recent Persian Gulf Cooperation Council conference in Riyadh, a number of regional states tried to encourage the Kuwaitis to single out and blame Iran. The whole story seems baseless anyway, and Kuwaiti officials are trying to ameliorate the situation after the unsubstantiated and blatant claims of Kuwaiti newspapers and other regional states.

Tehran and Kuwait are trying to accentuate their close relations. Is that a response to the strategic ties between some Persian Gulf states and the extraregional countries?

Kuwait has its own unique status, maybe different from other regional Arab states. Among the Persian Gulf states, Kuwait’s view is closer to Iran regarding Iraq. Other countries –particularly Saudi Arabia- are taking advantage of the chaotic situation in Iraq to undermine Iran’s regional power. But Kuwait –which suffered Iraq’s aggression during Saddam Hussein’s rule- tries to follow a constructive approach toward the state-building process in Iraq. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, has not yet appreciated the process of democratization and stabilization in Iraq and is just looking for a bigger share of influence. Iraq’s developments have strained Iran’s relations with some Persian Gulf states, although not with Kuwait.

Is there a promising prospect in Iran-Kuwait relations, as there is in the ties between Tehran and Qatar?

Qatar has its own diplomatic agenda. It is a small country facing specific security threats. To counter those threats, it has ambitiously embarked on diplomatic maneuvers, initiating increasingly extensive relations with powerful countries, including Iran. Qatar’s foreign policy is actually to negotiate and establish ties with any country that helps improve its security.

Keywords: Iran-Kuwait relations. Iran-Qatar relations. Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia.