Kuwait summoned the Iranian ambassador to the country, Mohammad Tootunji, on Tuesday, and handed him a protest note regarding what it described as the “infiltration of elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard” into Bubiyan Island with the aim of carrying out hostile acts against the country.
The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it condemns and denounces “the infiltration of Bubiyan Island by an armed group of Iranian Revolutionary Guard elements and their clash with the Kuwaiti armed forces,” demanding that Tehran “immediately and unconditionally” cease such actions.
The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry affirmed that these actions constitute “a blatant infringement on the sovereignty of the State of Kuwait and a grave violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” stressing that Kuwait retains its full right to defend itself and to take whatever measures it deems appropriate to protect its security and sovereignty.
In response, the Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the Gulf state’s move, stating that the four individuals were on a routine maritime mission and entered Kuwaiti territorial waters due to a “malfunction in their navigation system.”
The ministry rejected Kuwait's statements that Iran was planning "hostile acts" against it.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry announced that the four infiltrators who were arrested on May 3 while trying to enter the country by sea confessed during the investigation to belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
The ministry added that those arrested are: Naval Colonel Amir Hossein Abd Mohammad Zaraei, Naval Colonel Abdosamad Yedaleh Ghanavati, Naval Captain Ahmad Jamshid Gholam Reza Zolfaghari, and First Lieutenant Mohammad Hossein Sohrab Foroughi Rad.
She explained that the group was tasked with infiltrating Bubiyan Island on a fishing boat that had been specially hired to carry out the mission, noting that the clash with the Kuwaiti armed forces resulted in the injury of one of the army personnel and the escape of two other members, namely naval captain Mansour Qambari and Abdul-Ali Kazem Siamri, the boat's commander.
The Ministry of Interior confirmed that it has taken the necessary legal measures, in coordination with the security authorities and the Kuwaiti armed forces, to counter any plans targeting the country’s security and stability.
On May 3, the spokesman for the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense, Colonel Saud Abdulaziz Al-Atwan, announced that the armed forces had thwarted a maritime infiltration operation through Kuwaiti territorial waters and had managed to apprehend four infiltrators who had tried to enter the country illegally.
These developments come amid escalating regional tensions since the attacks on several Gulf states following the Israeli-American aggression against Iran at the end of February. Iran had stated at the time that it was targeting “American interests” in the region, while Gulf states accused it of targeting civilian facilities and vital areas.
Despite the slowdown in attacks since the ceasefire came into effect on April 8, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait witnessed drone attacks on Sunday after a period of calm, with the UAE accusing Iran of being responsible, which Tehran denied.
