A missile is launched during the fifth day of the six-day naval drill dubbed Velayat 91 from the coastline of the sea of Oman in southern Iran on Jan. 1, 2013. (Xinhua File photo)

KUWAIT CITY, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Kuwaiti National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim said on Thursday that the risks of war in the region are "very high," official Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.

In statements after a session with government officials, Al-Ghanim said the Kuwaiti government has explained the country's preparations for confronting any state of belligerency in the region.

The Middle East is witnessing serious escalations between Iran and the United States, as the U.S. forces in Iraq were put on high alert for possible Iranian onslaught.

The session came a few days after Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah called on the Kuwaiti army to be "cautious and vigilant in order to preserve the country and avert any threats in the light of tension in the region."

On Wednesday, local newspapers al-Qabas and al-Rai said "unprecedented security measures" in the Gulf state have been taken, particularly in the vicinity of oil facilities and in territorial waters.