Oil-rich Kuwait is drawing up plans to ensure it meets its oil exports if neighbouring Iran closes a sea route that is critical to Gulf oil producers, a senior Kuwaiti official said yesterday.

Saad al-Shuwaib, chief executive of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the state oil company, told the Kuwait news agency that "precautionary plans" to export crude if the Strait of Hormuz was closed were in place, but not yet finalised.