Iran detains Saudi fishing boat, arrest crew - Newspaper

Then the Kuwaiti government expelled 15 Iranian diplomats from the country and reduced the activities that the Iranian embassy has the authority to undertake.

In reply, Iran's Foreign Ministry in a statement described the move against Tehran as "cheap and useless".

"The recent action by Kuwait was not good and is condemnable", Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said in a news briefing.

"The ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to be present in Kuwait and the embassy will be active at the ambassadorial level, and there is no problem in this regard", he stated.

Earlier on Thursday a group of Kuwaiti and Iranian media reported that the Arab nation ordered the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador and 14 other diplomats for alleged links to a "spy and terror" cell.

"We saw a reduction in the number of Iranian embassy staff in Kuwait".

Last Tuesday, the USA state department and department of treasury announced that they were targeting 18 Iranian individuals, groups and networks over the Islamic Republic's missile program.

Asked if Iran will take a similar step and lower the number of Kuwaiti diplomats, he responded that his country "reserves the right to retaliate in kind".

Qasemi said Iran has traditionally maintained positive relations with Kuwait and the Thursday announcement was unexpected.

Last month, the Iranian Interior Ministry's director general for border affairs, Majid Aqa-Babaei, said that Saudi Arabia's coastguard had opened fire on Iranian fishing boats in the waters south of Iran and killed a fisherman.

"Iran has always acted responsibly toward regional countries, including Kuwait in trying times", it added.