Kuwait Detains Four IRGC Officers in a Boat off Bubiyan Island
Iran and Kuwait are trading words over the capture of an Iranian boat near its maritime border with Iraq. Kuwait claims that the four men aboard the boat were agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and had intended to carry out "hostile acts" within Kuwaiti territory. Iran disputes the charge.
"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," said Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday. "We demand immediate release of our nationals and reserve right to respond."
Kuwaiti authorities identified the men as Amir Hossein Abd Mohammad Zarei, Abdolsamad Yadollah Qanavati, Ahmad Jamshid Gholamreza Zolfaghari and Mohammad Hossein Sohrab Foroughi Rad - all allegedly officers in the IRGC Navy. Kuwait's interior ministry said that they had all confessed to a plan to infiltrate Bubiyan Island on May 1 using a rented fishing boat for transportation.
Tehran's foreign ministry denied Kuwait's claims and said that the four men were in Kuwaiti waters by accident, having suffered a failure of their navigational system. The ministry suggested that Iran has respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kuwait, which it has repeatedly bombed since the end of February, and suggested that Kuwaiti officials should "avoid hasty remarks and unfounded accusations." The ministry requested speedy access to the detainees, to be followed by their release.
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Bubiyan is a low-lying, sandy island on the border between Kuwait and Iraq, and it lies just 15 nautical miles from Iranian territory at its closest point. It is reportedly home to a U.S. Marine Corps outpost; Iran previously claimed to have targeted American forces on the island in April. IRGC spokesperson Ibrahim Zulfiqar has asserted that U.S. forces based at Kuwait's Camp Arifjan relocated to Bubiyan Island after their facility was hit by Iranian strikes.
Bubiyan is also noteworthy as the future home of a mega-port complex designed to strengthen Kuwait's role as a container shipping hub. The $4 billion Mubarak Al Kabeer Port on the island's east side is being developed in conjunction with Chinese interests, and is nearing completion.
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