Kuwait Says It Arrested 4 IRGC Operatives Aboard Fishing Boat Chartered For Hostile Actions
Kuwait said it arrested four men linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after they allegedly tried to enter the Gulf state by sea near Bubiyan Island, a strategically located island in the northern Gulf.
Kuwait’s interior ministry said the operation took place on May 1 after security forces intercepted a fishing boat that had allegedly been chartered to carry out hostile actions against Kuwait.
The ministry said the four men admitted during questioning that they had been assigned by the IRGC to infiltrate Kuwaiti territory.
The ministry identified the detained men as Colonels Amir Hussein Abd Mohammed Zara’i and Abdulsamad Yadallah Qanwati, Captain Ahmed Jamshid Gholam Reza Zulfiqari and First Lieutenant Mohammed Hussein Sehrab Faroughi Rad.
Kuwaiti authorities said clashes broke out during the operation and one member of Kuwait’s armed forces was injured by gunfire.
Two other men reportedly escaped during the confrontation, including navy Captain Mansour Qambari and the captain of the fishing boat, Abdulali Kazem Siamari.
Iran denied Kuwait’s accusations and said the four detained men were maritime patrol personnel who entered Kuwaiti territorial waters after their navigation system malfunctioned.
Tehran rejected claims that it was planning hostile actions against Kuwait and demanded that Iranian embassy officials in Kuwait be allowed access to the detained nationals.
Iran’s foreign ministry criticised what it described as Kuwait’s political and media handling of the incident and called for the immediate release of the four Iranians.
Following the incident, Kuwait summoned Iran’s ambassador and handed over a formal protest note.
Kuwait’s foreign ministry described the incident as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and international law.
The ministry said Kuwait reserved the right to defend its sovereignty under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and held Iran responsible for the incident.
Bubiyan Island is Kuwait’s largest island and is located near the Iraqi border at the northern end of the Gulf. The island is close to key shipping routes, oil facilities and military areas.
Kuwait recently said it intercepted a number of hostile drones in its airspace, but it did not specify where they were launched from or who operated them.
These incidents came shortly after a series of attacks in April on key Kuwaiti infrastructure, including the Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery and a power and desalination plant.
Kuwait said Iran was responsible for those strikes, while Iran denied the accusation and said the attacks were carried out by Israel instead.
On March 30, an Indian national was killed in an attack on a Kuwaiti power and desalination facility. Kuwait also blamed Iran for that incident, while Tehran denied responsibility.
Kuwait, located around 80 kilometres from Iran’s coastline, depends heavily on desalination plants and secure Gulf shipping routes for energy and water supplies.
Bahrain expressed support for Kuwait after the incident. Kuwait’s foreign ministry said Bahrain’s foreign minister backed Kuwait’s right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and security.
The investigation into the alleged infiltration attempt is continuing, while Iran continues to deny the accusations and seek access to the detained men.
References: Al Jazeera, Reuters
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