US troops a liability for some Kuwaitis amid Iran fury: ‘we’re paying the price’
‘Targeting locations where the Americans are stationed has created fear and anxiety among residents,’ a Kuwaiti national says
Like many Kuwaitis, Ghanim Alsulaimani still vividly remembers Iraqi tanks rolling through his hometown when his small Gulf state faced extinction had US troops not liberated it from invasion.
Now, decades later and six months into the US-Iran war, some are seeing those same American troops as more of a liability than an asset, as their presence has put Kuwait in Tehran’s line of fire.
Since the Middle East conflict first erupted in late February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, the Islamic Republic and its allies have hammered Kuwait with recurrent barrages.
They have targeted civilian infrastructure, including water desalination plants and energy installations, along with bases hosting American troops.
Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has put Kuwait, which is locked into the waterway and relies on oil exports for revenue, in a difficult economic position.
Yet Alsulaimani continues to stand by the United States, even as talks to end the war have stalled, weighing on Gulf economies.