His comments were a reference to the support Iran lent Kuwait during the Gulf War (1990-91), and were made as American military bases in Kuwait came under fire by Iranian missiles. Kuwait has denied that the USA has launched strikes from air bases on its territory, and its defence ministry spokesperson described Iran’s actions as “criminal aggression". They took a downward turn when Kuwait aligned itself with Iraq after President Saddam Hussein invaded Iran in 1980, but became more cordial in the aftermath of the Gulf War. Iran and Kuwait had long maintained diplomatic, commercial and cultural ties, but Saddam’s war on Iran (1980-88) changed that. Read more: How loyalty between Iran and Kuwait gave way to mistrust