GCC Monitors Radiation Risk Amid Regional Escalation
KUWAIT CITY, June 18: Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Al-Yahya reaffirmed Kuwait's commitment to the safe and expedited evacuation of all Kuwaiti citizens currently in Iran, amid rapidly deteriorating security conditions sparked by ongoing Israeli airstrikes.
In a televised interview with Al-Akhbar TV, Minister Al-Yahya emphasized that the safety of Kuwaiti nationals abroad remains a top priority, noting that "no injuries or health-related incidents have been reported among Kuwaiti citizens since the start of the Israeli assault on Iran last Friday." He confirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has activated its emergency response plan, beginning with an immediate census of Kuwaiti nationals across Iranian cities. 'We started the process in Tehran, then moved on to Mashhad and Qom. We have maintained direct contact with all citizens, recorded their whereabouts, and are working to evacuate them at the earliest opportunity via the nearest exit routes,' he said.
The minister explained that evacuations are currently being carried out through land crossings into Iraq, with onward travel to Kuwait coordinated with local and regional authorities. 'We are also transporting some citizens through Turkmenistan, with flights arranged from Ashgabat to Kuwait,' he added. Sheikh Al-Yahya assured that the evacuation operations are proceeding in close coordination with neighboring countries, underscoring Kuwait's diplomatic efforts to facilitate safe passage. 'We are doing everything necessary to ensure our citizens return home swiftly and safely,' he stated.
As the current chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Kuwait has taken a leading diplomatic role since the escalation began. The minister revealed that a video conference was convened on Saturday with GCC foreign ministers, resulting in a unified condemnation of Israel's military operations and a collective call for de-escalation and a return to negotiations. Al-Yahya also confirmed that the Gulf states are actively monitoring the situation for any signs of radiation fallout due to strikes on sensitive sites in Iran. 'All current readings are stable, but we remain vigilant,' he said.
Regarding consular support, the minister noted that Kuwait operates a single diplomatic mission in Tehran, while other Gulf countries have additional consulates in Mashhad and Qom. 'Despite this, we function as a united Gulf team, ensuring that all Gulf nationals in Iran receive adequate support, regardless of where they are,' he said. The minister concluded by reiterating Kuwait's full diplomatic mobilization to protect its citizens and promote regional stability: 'Our goal remains clear—safeguard our people and contribute to efforts that bring peace and security to the region.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab Times
4 hours ago
- Arab Times
Armed men in western Niger kill 34 soldiers and wound 14
DAKAR, Senegal, June 21, (AP): Armed men killed 34 soldiers and wounded 14 others in western Niger near the tri-state border with Mali and Burkina Faso, the defense ministry said. The attack was carred out around 9 a.m. Thursday in Banibangou by attackers using eight vehicles and more than 200 motorbikes, the ministry said in a statement. The government said its forces killed dozens of attackers it called "terrorists,' adding that search operations by land and air were being conduted to find additional assailants. Niger, along with its neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali, has for more than a decade battled an insurgency fought by jihadi groups, including some allied with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in the three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russia's mercenary units for security assistance. The three countries have vowed to strengthen their cooperation by establishing a new security alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States. But the security situation in the Sahel, a vast region on the fringes of the Sahara Desert, has significantly worsened since the juntas took power, analysts say, with a record number of attacks and civilians killed by Islamic militants and government forces.
Kuwait Times
11 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Kuwait's T2 meets LEED Gold standards, local accessibility code
KUWAIT: Kuwait's Cabinet on Tuesday reviewed the progress of Terminal 2 (T2) at Kuwait International Airport, highlighting its achievement in earning the LEED Gold Certification — a milestone that places the project among the most environmentally sustainable airport terminals in the region. The update came during the Cabinet's weekly meeting at Bayan Palace, chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Minister of Public Works Dr Noura Al-Mashaan presented a comprehensive visual briefing detailing the airport's design and infrastructure components, which include the terminal building, support facilities, aircraft stands and access roads. Dr Al-Mashaan announced that the terminal was awarded LEED Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a globally recognized sustainability rating system overseen by the US Green Building Council. The certification affirms that the terminal meets rigorous environmental standards across energy efficiency, water conservation, building materials and indoor environmental quality. The Cabinet praised the Ministry of Public Works, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, and all contributing teams for delivering a future-focused project that aligns with Kuwait's national sustainability and development goals. Officials emphasized that the terminal's green design is not only a technical achievement but also a reflection of Kuwait's growing commitment to environmental stewardship in public infrastructure. The LEED-certified terminal incorporates advanced energy systems, natural lighting, and sustainable materials to reduce the building's carbon footprint. It is also expected to contribute significantly to improving passenger capacity and operational efficiency. In a related statement, Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of Family and Childhood Affairs Dr Amthal Al-Huwailah emphasized that the new terminal is also fully committed to applying the Kuwait Accessibility Code, a universal design framework that ensures the facility accommodates the needs of all members of society, including persons with disabilities, the elderly, and individuals with special needs. Al-Huwailah told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the project includes sensory rooms designed specifically for those who may experience challenges in high-stimulation environments, such as children with autism or individuals with cognitive impairments and age-related conditions like Alzheimer's. She explained that the Public Authority for Persons with Disabilities has worked closely with the Ministry of Public Works, Kuwait Municipality, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to ensure the terminal's design reflects Kuwait's national values of inclusion, social justice and accessibility. 'The adoption of the national accessibility code in the new airport project is a model of institutional integration and embodies the state's vision for an inclusive built environment that serves all members of society without exception,' Al-Huwailah said. The Kuwait Accessibility Code is a set of nationally approved technical and engineering standards aimed at making public and private spaces accessible and usable by everyone — especially people with disabilities and the elderly— through universal design principles. — KUNA
Arab Times
a day ago
- Arab Times
Iran Strikes At The Heart Of Israeli Scientific Might
REHOVOT, Israel (AP) — For years, Israel has targeted Iranian nuclear scientists, hoping to choke progress on Iran's nuclear program by striking at the brains behind it. Now, with Iran and Israel in an open-ended direct conflict, scientists in Israel have found themselves in the crosshairs after an Iranian missile struck a premier research institute known for its work in life sciences and physics, among other fields. While no one was killed in the strike on the Weizmann Institute of Science early Sunday, it caused heavy damage to multiple labs on campus, snuffing out years of scientific research and sending a chilling message to Israeli scientists that they and their expertise are now targets in the escalating conflict with Iran. 'It's a moral victory' for Iran, said Oren Schuldiner, a professor in the department of molecular cell biology and the department of molecular neuroscience whose lab was obliterated in the strike. 'They managed to harm the crown jewel of science in Israel.' Iranian scientists were a prime target in a long shadow war During years of a shadow war between Israel and Iran that preceded the current conflict, Israel repeatedly targeted Iranian nuclear scientists with the aim of setting back Iran's nuclear program. Israel continued that tactic with its initial blow against Iran days ago, killing multiple nuclear scientists, along with top generals, as well as striking nuclear facilities and ballistic missile infrastructure. For its part, Iran has been accused of targeting at least one Weizmann scientist before. Last year, Israeli authorities said they busted an Iranian spy ring that devised a plot to follow and assassinate an Israeli nuclear scientist who worked and lived at the institute. Citing an indictment, Israeli media said the suspects, Palestinians from east Jerusalem, gathered information about the scientist and photographed the exterior of the Weizmann Institute but were arrested before they could proceed. With Iran's intelligence penetration into Israel far less successful than Israel's, those plots have not been seen through, making this week's strike on Weizmann that much more jarring. 'The Weizmann Institute has been in Iran's sights,' said Yoel Guzansky, an Iran expert and senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank. He stressed that he did not know for certain whether Iran intended to strike the institute but believed it did. While it is a multidisciplinary research institute, Weizmann, like other Israeli universities, has ties to Israel's defense establishment, including collaborations with industry leaders like Elbit Systems, which is why it may have been targeted. But Guzansky said the institute primarily symbolizes 'Israeli scientific progress' and the strike against it shows Iran's thinking: 'You harm our scientists, so we are also harming (your) scientific cadre.' Damage to the institute and labs 'literally decimated' Weizmann, founded in 1934 and later renamed after Israel's first president, ranks among the world's top research institutes. Its scientists and researchers publish hundreds of studies each year. One Nobel laureate in chemistry and three Turing Award laureates have been associated with the institute, which built the first computer in Israel in 1954. Two buildings were hit in the strike, including one housing life sciences labs and a second that was empty and under construction but meant for chemistry study, according to the institute. Dozens of other buildings were damaged. The campus has been closed since the strike, although media were allowed to visit Thursday. Large piles of rock, twisted metal and other debris were strewn on campus. There were shattered windows, collapsed ceiling panels and charred walls. A photo shared on X by one professor showed flames rising near a heavily damaged structure with debris scattered on the ground nearby. 'Several buildings were hit quite hard, meaning that some labs were literally decimated, really leaving nothing,' said Sarel Fleishman, a professor of biochemics who said he has visited the site since the strike. Life's work of many researchers is gone Many of those labs focus on the life sciences, whose projects are especially sensitive to physical damage, Fleishman said. The labs were studying areas like tissue generation, developmental biology or cancer, with much of their work now halted or severely set back by the damage. 'This was the life's work of many people,' he said, noting that years' or even decades' worth of research was destroyed. For Schuldiner, the damage means the lab he has worked at for 16 years 'is entirely gone. No trace. There is nothing to save.' In that once gleaming lab, he kept thousands of genetically modified flies used for research into the development of the human nervous system, which helped provide insights into autism and schizophrenia, he said. The lab housed equipment like sophisticated microscopes. Researchers from Israel and abroad joined hands in the study effort. 'All of our studies have stopped,' he said, estimating it would take years to rebuild and get the science work back on track. 'It's very significant damage to the science that we can create and to the contribution we can make to the world.'
