Kuwait City - Kuwait's parliament speaker criticized the US for using "double standards in its attempt to stop Iran's nuclear programme while turning a blind eye to Israel's," local media reported Monday.

Jassim al-Kharafi told Kuwait TV that what was happening with Iran's nuclear file involved a lot of exaggeration and was done in a provocative way.

Iran "is a country that has its status and strategy in the region and should be respected," al-Kharafi said in the interview that was published in Kuwait's local press on Monday.

He said the US was dealing with Iran in a provocative way and treating it as if it were one of its states.

Washington has said military action is an option if Iran continues uranium enrichment activities, which the West suspects are for the purpose of making nuclear weapons. Iran denies this.

Al-Kharafi said the US was allowing Israel to have nuclear weapons while opposing Iran's nuclear programme.

Israel's suspected nuclear arsenal is shrouded with uncertainties as it continues to neither deny nor confirm its possession of nuclear weapons.

Kuwait finds itself in a precarious situation as it is home to a key US military base in the Gulf and is a neighbour of Iran, which lies on the other side of the strategic waterway.

Kuwait said it would not allow the use of its territory for military action against Iran. (dpa)