Kuwait Forms Team To Prepare For US-Iran Conflict

Iran's Gulf neighbour Kuwait has formed an emergency team to prepare for any military conflict between Iran and the United States.

Iran's Gulf neighbour Kuwait has formed an emergency team to prepare for any military conflict between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear programme, a member of parliament said on Monday.

The moves come amid concern in the Gulf Arab state, which was a launchpad for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, over the prospects of war between Iran and the West.

"Kuwait's cabinet has formed a team to make contingency plans," deputy Saleh Ashour told Reuters.

Kuwaiti newspapers said the team would draw up plans about necessary emergency supplies to keep the country running during a war.

Ashour said the parliament had also asked the government to brief deputies on emergency plans in case conflict breaks out.

The United States, which says Iran is trying to build an atomic bomb, has said it wants a diplomatic solution to the standoff but has not ruled out military action if that fails.

Iran says its nuclear programme is only for power generation.

Ashour said the team was made up of officials from the ministries of interior and defence, health and information as well as the fire service and civil defence departments.

Al-Watan newspaper said the cabinet had formed the emergency team on Sunday.

There was no immediate official confirmation of the team by the government. It was also unclear how often the team would meet.

Kuwait, a staunch U.S. ally, is worried about any strike on the Bushehr nuclear power station that Russia is building for Iran. The Iranian port city lies less than 300 km (185 miles) from Kuwait.

State news agency KUNA said earlier in April that Kuwait had asked NATO to send experts to help assess its readiness to deal with any nuclear radiation.

Kuwait signed an agreement in December with NATO to share certain types of classified intelligence, the first such accord between the Western military organisation and a Gulf state.