Tasnim � Kuwait�s Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled al-Jarallah said the Persian Gulf state is looking at Iran�s potential decision to block the Strait of Hormuz with concern in the wake of Washington�s new sanctions.

�We are looking at these threats with concern, and hoping as always to distance our region from this tension,� KUNA quoted Jarallah as saying.

Last week, the White House once again took aim at Iran�s oil sector, ending six months of waivers which allowed Tehran�s eight largest customers to continue importing limited volumes.

It threatened the buyers of Iranian oil with sanctions if they fail to stop their purchases by May 1, in a move that quickly sent global crude prices to their highest levels since last November.

Iran has said it may close the Strait of Hormuz if prevented from using the waterway, which links crude producers in the Middle East to markets in Europe, Asia Pacific, North America and beyond.