"In a clear move to sow discord, Kuwait illegally attacked an Iranian boat and arrested four of our citizens in the Arabian Gulf. This unlawful act occurred near an island the US uses to attack Iran," Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X on 13/5.

"We demand the immediate release of our citizens and reserve the right to respond," he added.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks in Geneva, Switzerland, on 17/2. *Photo: AFP*

In a statement released earlier by the state news agency KUNA, Kuwait's Ministry of Interior stated that four Iranians were arrested on 1/5 while attempting to enter the country by sea. They confessed to being members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

According to Kuwait's Ministry of Interior, the four individuals, comprising two naval colonels, a captain, and a major, admitted to being tasked by the IRGC to access Bubiyan island, Kuwait's largest island.

The group "traveled on a privately hired fishing boat to carry out hostile actions against Kuwait," the Ministry stated. A Kuwaiti soldier was injured in a shootout, and two IRGC members escaped.

Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs later announced it had summoned Iran's Ambassador Mohammad Toutounji to deliver a "protest note," condemning the incident as a "hostile act" and a "blatant attack" on Kuwait's sovereignty.

However, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected this information as "completely baseless," asserting that the officers' entry into Kuwaiti waters was merely an incident "due to a navigation system malfunction."

This marks the fourth time Iran's Ambassador has been summoned since the Middle East conflict erupted in late February and Iran began retaliatory actions against Gulf nations.

Location of Bubiyan island between Kuwait and Iraq. *Graphic: LebanonNews*

In its statement, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Kuwait of "exploiting the incident for political and propaganda purposes." It demanded that the Iranian embassy in Kuwait be granted access to the detained officers "as soon as possible."

Kuwait has previously experienced multiple attacks from Iran. On the night of 28/3, Kuwaiti forces detected 14 missiles and 12 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) entering its airspace. Some weapons targeted military bases in the country, injuring 10 soldiers. On 31/3, Kuwait accused Iran of deliberately attacking its oil tanker Al Salmi while it was anchored at Dubai port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Vu Hoang (According to AFP)