Abbas Araghchi slams Kuwait for 'attacking' Iranian boat, seeks release of four detainees

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 an 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.

Kuwait arrests four Iranian nationals

In a statement on X on Tuesday, Kuwait's Ministry of Interior said the operation took place on May 1, when naval officers arrested “aboard a fishing boat specially chartered to carry out hostile actions against Kuwait” who admitted they had been tasked by the IRGC with “infiltrating”.

Kuwait summoned Iran's ambassador and handed him a protest note over what it described as the infiltration of Bubiyan Island by the IRGC, the foreign ministry said.

Al Jazeera reported that the interior ministry has identified the IRGC group members as Colonel Amir Hussein Abd Mohammed Zara’i and Colonel Abdulsamad Yadallah Qanwati, Captain Ahmed Jamshid Gholam Reza Zulfiqari, and First Lieutenant Mohammed Hussein Sehrab Faroughi Rad.

During a confrontation with Kuwaiti forces on the island, gunfire wounded one Kuwaiti service member, the ministry added. Two other members of the group – Navy Captain Mansour Qambari and the boat’s captain, Abdulali Kazem Siamari, reportedly escaped during the clash.

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.

Iran's Foreign Ministry, in a statement on Tuesday, condemned what it described as Kuwait’s “inappropriate political and media actions."

Kuwait calls the alleged incursion a "flagrant violation"

Kuwait City's Foreign Affairs Ministry slammed the alleged incursion as a "flagrant violation” of Kuwaiti sovereignty and a grave breach of international law. It also asked Tehran to immediately and unconditionally cease “unlawful hostile acts.”

Separately, Kuwait's foreign minister received a phone call from his Bahraini counterpart, who also condemned the infiltration and affirmed “Kuwait’s full right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and protect its people”.

Kuwait intercepts hostile drones

Earlier this week, Kuwait also intercepted "a number of hostile drones" in its airspace; however, it did not specify where the drones were launched from.

The incursion came after strikes in April targeted Mina Al Ahmadi Refinery, one of the Middle East’s largest oil refineries, as well as a power and desalination plant in Kuwait. Kuwaiti authorities blamed Iran for the attacks.

On March 30, an Indian national was killed in a separate strike on a Kuwaiti power and desalination facility, which Kuwait also attributed to Iran. Tehran denied responsibility for both incidents and instead accused Israel of carrying out the attacks.

US-Iran peace talks in limbo?

Tensions in the Middle East region are once again escalating as the United States and Iran continue to work towards a framework agreement to end the war. As the shaky ceasefire remains in place, both sides have renewed warnings of military strikes if the ceasefire collapses. Simultaneously, Iran has ramped up attacks in the region. Earlier in May, a petroleum site in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was attacked by Iranian drones.

The latest confrontation between Kuwait and Iran has added to growing instability across the Gulf region, where fears of further escalation remain high despite ongoing diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran. With both sides trading accusations and regional security incidents increasing, concerns are mounting that the fragile ceasefire could unravel further.