ABSTRACT
The Islamic revolution in Iran and the subsequent Iran-Iraq war had, and probably will continue to have a profound impact on Kuwaiti politics. Kuwaiti public reaction to events in Iran was, in contrast, joyous and supportive. The Kuwaitis initially admired and felt proud of the Iranians for their courage and determination to topple one of the most tyrannical regimes of the region. A number of plausible explanations might justify the Kuwaiti position vis-a-vis the Iran-Iraq war. The regime was fearful of an Iranian victory that might undermine the status quo regimes and might involve Islamic fundamentalism. In the mid-1970s the Kuwaiti ruler, Jaber Al-Ahmad, crown prince and prime minister, advocated that a venue be created for collective work with the rest of the Gulf states. Within the Gulf region, Kuwait was hardest hit next to the combatants of the Gulf war. Its social, political, security, and economic structures have been damaged, and will probably take a long time to recover.
