Iran responds to Kuwait's 'baseless allegations'

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has reacted to statements from the Kuwaiti Foreign and Interior Ministries alleging that Iran was planning hostile actions against Kuwait.

In a written statement, the ministry said, "The claims by the Kuwaiti Foreign and Interior Ministries that Iran is planning hostile actions against Kuwait are completely baseless and are rejected."

"The Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the Kuwaiti government's inappropriate political and propaganda-driven attempt regarding 4 individuals affiliated with Iran. The individuals in question entered Kuwaiti territorial waters due to a malfunction in their navigation system during a routine maritime patrol mission," the statement read.

The statement further added, "The Foreign Ministry, while reminding that Iran is committed to the principle of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional countries, requests that Kuwaiti officials refrain from hasty and baseless statements and pursue existing issues through official channels. Furthermore, it emphasizes that officials from the Iranian Embassy in Kuwait must be granted access to the detained Iranian citizens as soon as possible and that these individuals must be released immediately in accordance with international law."

Iran-Kuwait tension off Bubiyan Island

The Kuwaiti Interior Ministry had previously announced that a group of 6 people attempting to enter the country by sea had been detected off the coast of Bubiyan Island. It was reported that a Kuwaiti soldier was wounded in a clash between security forces and the group, 4 people were detained, and 2 people escaped. Kuwaiti authorities had claimed that the detained individuals were linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and had come to Kuwait for "hostile activities." Following the incident, the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait, Mohammad Toutounchi, and issued an official protest note.