Relationship dossier
Kuwait
United States
Relationship assessment
A sustained security partnership anchored in defense cooperation and regional operations
Kuwait toward United States
+70Kuwait has supported U.S. regional operations, including by hosting U.S. forces and providing logistical support for U.S.-led military activity. Its defense cooperation with the United States has continued since Kuwait's liberation in 1991.
United States toward Kuwait
+70The United States led the 1991 coalition that liberated Kuwait following Iraq's invasion and has maintained defense cooperation with Kuwait. It provides security assistance and arms, and designated Kuwait a major non-NATO ally in 2004.
Overall relationship
+70The bilateral relationship has a durable security foundation: U.S. action in Kuwait's liberation, continuing defense cooperation, U.S. forces hosted in Kuwait, and Kuwait's support for U.S.-led regional operations. The partnership is substantial, though its strongest and clearest features are concentrated in defense and security.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Kuwait and the United States maintain a close security partnership shaped by the 1991 liberation of Kuwait and continuing defense cooperation. Kuwait hosts U.S. forces and has supported U.S.-led regional operations, while the United States has provided security assistance and arms. The relationship also includes Kuwait's designation as a major non-NATO ally. These arrangements support sustained cooperation, especially on defense and regional security.
Key developments
A U.S.-led coalition liberated Kuwait after Iraq's invasion.
The United States designated Kuwait a major non-NATO ally.
Kuwait and the United States established a post-liberation defense cooperation framework.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and implementation of defense cooperation arrangements are unclear.
- The extent of policy coordination beyond security matters is uncertain.