Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday (local time) slammed Kuwait for an “unlawful” attack on an Iranian boat and called for the release of its citizens who were detained.
In a post on X, Araghchi wrote, “In clear attempt to sow discord, Kuwait has unlawfully attacked an Iranian boat and detained 4 of our citizens in the Persian Gulf. This illegal act took place near island used by the U.S. to attack Iran.” He added, “We demand immediate release of our nationals and reserve right to respond.”
Araghchi’s remarks came a day after Kuwait’s interior ministry on Tuesday said that it had arrested four people associated with Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who tried to infiltrate the Gulf state by sea.
In a statement on X on Tuesday, Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior said the operation took place on May 1, when the naval officers arrested “aboard a fishing boat specially chartered to carry out hostile actions against Kuwait” admitted they had been tasked by the IRGC with “infiltrating”.
Kuwait summons Iranian ambassador
Kuwait summoned Iran’s ambassador and handed him a protest note over what it described as the infiltration of Bubiyan Island by the Revolutionary Guards, the foreign ministry said.
According to media reports, a member of Kuwait’s armed forces sustained injuries in the clashes with the infiltrators.
Bubiyan Island is the largest of Kuwait’s coastal island chain, located in the northwest of the Gulf. Kuwait condemned the incident as a hostile act and said it reserved the right to defend its sovereignty under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
Tehran rejects Kuwait’s allegations of hostile actions
Condemning the arrest of its four citizens, Tehran said that they were on maritime patrol and entered Kuwait’s territorial waters due to “disruption in their navigation”.
Tehran also rejected Kuwait’s statements that Iran was planning “hostile actions” against the Gulf country and demanded that its embassy in Kuwait be granted access to the detained Iranian nationals.
This is a developing story. More details awaited.
