Kuwait is preparing for the possibility of a high-intensity war with Iran amid indications that Tehran and its regional proxies are preparing to shift from defensive operations to offensive action, Kan News reported Monday evening.

A Kuwaiti source close to the government said Iran’s excessive demands, increasingly extreme statements from the regime and the growing influence of hardline elements within the leadership of the Islamic Republic indicate that Tehran is moving toward further military escalation and war.

The source said Kuwait is actively consulting with its allies and other Gulf states over the developments and the possibility of a wider confrontation with Iran.

Concern across the Gulf comes amid indications of increasing Iranian-backed activity throughout the region. Kan News reported Sunday, citing a Lebanese political source, that Hezbollah has been intensifying its operations against Israel at Iran’s direction, with the goal of disrupting direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.

In another unusual development Monday, Iranian drones struck the office of the Kurdish prime minister in northern Iraq.

International media reports over the past 24 hours have indicated that Iran and its regional proxies are preparing for an escalation in the coming period and a transition “from defense to offense,” including operations carried out on enemy territory.

The developments have raised concern among Gulf states, with particular attention in Kuwait, which was at the center of the previous round of escalation.

Kuwait’s preparations and consultations with its allies come as officials assess whether Tehran’s rhetoric and activity signal that the Islamic Republic is preparing to move beyond its current posture toward a significantly more aggressive phase of operations across the region.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)