Kuwait Detains Four Accused of Being Iranian Revolutionary Guard Members
Al Jazeera Staff
Kuwait said it arrested four men accused of being members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after they attempted to illegally enter Bubiyan Island by sea on May 1, injuring a Kuwaiti soldier. The Interior Ministry stated the men confessed to being tasked by the IRGC. Kuwait condemned the incident as a flagrant sovereignty violation and summoned Iran's ambassador.
Kuwait announced on May 7 that it had detained four men accused of being members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) following their alleged attempt to illegally enter Bubiyan Island by sea on May 1, an incident that left a Kuwaiti soldier wounded.
The Kuwaiti Interior Ministry said in a statement on social media platform X that the individuals were apprehended on a fishing vessel specially hired to carry out hostile acts against Kuwait. According to the ministry, those arrested confessed to being tasked by the IRGC with the infiltration.
The detained group includes Lieutenant Colonel Amir Hussein Abd Mohammed Zara’i, Lieutenant Colonel Abdulsamad Yadallah Qanwati, Captain Ahmed Jamshid Gholam Reza Zulfiqari, and Lieutenant Mohammed Hussein Sehrab Faroughi Rad. During a clash with Kuwaiti forces on the island, a Kuwaiti soldier was wounded by gunfire. Two other members of the group, Navy Captain Mansour Qambari and skipper Abdulali Kazem Siamari, escaped during the skirmish.
Bubiyan Island, Kuwait’s largest island, is located at the northern tip of the Persian Gulf near the Iraqi border and holds significant strategic value due to its proximity to major shipping lanes, as well as Kuwait’s northern oil fields and military installations.
Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry condemned the incident as a flagrant violation of Kuwait’s sovereignty and a serious breach of international law, demanding that Iran immediately and unconditionally cease its illegal hostile actions. Kuwait’s Deputy Foreign Minister summoned Iran’s ambassador to Kuwait to deliver a formal protest note, while reserving Kuwait’s right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The ministry affirmed that Tehran bears full responsibility for the incident.
Kuwait’s Foreign Minister received a phone call from his Bahraini counterpart, who condemned the infiltration and affirmed Kuwait’s full right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and people.
Earlier this week, Kuwait also reported intercepting several hostile drones in its airspace, without specifying their origin.
The infiltration follows attacks in April targeting the Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery, one of the largest in the Middle East, and a Kuwaiti power and desalination plant. Kuwait attributed those attacks to Iran.
On March 30, an Indian national was killed in an attack on a Kuwaiti power and desalination plant, which Kuwait also blamed on Iran. Tehran denied responsibility for those attacks and instead blamed Israel. Kuwait, located just 80 km from the coast of Iran, relies heavily on desalinated water.
