09/10/2026
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09/10/2026
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Some Americans visit Kuwait on their own initiative, seeking to understand the country and the region through conversations with its people. Beyond official delegations and government meetings, these visitors seek opportunities to test assumptions and hear what concerns Kuwaitis. Official discourse is naturally restrained by diplomatic responsibilities. Conversations outside that framework offer greater room for explanation, disagreement and insight. Through encounters with American visitors since the regional crisis began in late February, I have noticed recurring themes among Kuwaitis of different backgrounds.
These are my interpretations of those discussions, not a claim to represent Kuwaiti opinion as a whole. First, anxiety about American protection does not mean wanting to lose Washington as a partner.
The questions are practical: What does that protection cover? When do commitments become action?
Diversifying partnerships can reflect risk management rather than a shift into a hostile camp. On Iran, opposition to the regime’s policies does not translate into confidence that overthrowing it would make the region safer. There is concern that Washington might act before adequately planning for the consequences, then improvise as events unfold.
Who would govern? Who would maintain order? What if instability spread across the Gulf?
Questioning regime change is not defending the regime; it is questioning who bears the cost of an uncertain aftermath. A recurring view in these conversations is that the Gulf lacks strategic cohesion. Such assessments reflect participants’ frustrations and assumptions, but convey a consistent warning: GCC consensus cannot be taken for granted. Shared interest in stability does not erase divergent priorities.
Another recurring question is: Why are these thoughtful voices absent from the media?
Knowledgeable people may remain silent when disagreement risks being interpreted as hostility. Kuwait needs an institutional environment where responsible dissent commands respect. Otherwise, valuable perspectives remain confined to private gatherings, beyond the reach of wider debate and policy communities.
These views do not constitute a Kuwaiti consensus. Their value lies in revealing concerns, calculations and aspirations that deserve attention. Understanding Kuwait requires listening to its official position and to what its people debate, disagree about and hope to achieve.
By Abdulaziz Al-Anjeri
