Kuwait Accuses Iran's IRGC of Armed Island Infiltration

(MENAFN) A serious diplomatic confrontation erupted Tuesday between Kuwait and Iran after Kuwait's cabinet accused an armed group allegedly linked to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) of attempting to infiltrate Bubiyan Island — a charge Tehran flatly and forcefully denied.

Kuwait's cabinet said the suspects engaged Kuwaiti armed forces in a clash before being apprehended, a state news agency reported, citing an official cabinet statement. During subsequent interrogation, the suspects purportedly admitted membership in the IRGC and confirmed they had entered Kuwaiti waters by sea with the intent to carry out "hostile activities."

In a strongly worded response, Kuwait demanded that Iran "immediately and unconditionally cease" what it characterized as hostile conduct threatening regional peace and stability, while explicitly reserving the country's "full and legitimate right to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter."

Earlier Tuesday, Kuwait's Interior Ministry said four infiltrators had attempted to reach Bubiyan Island aboard a fishing boat allegedly chartered specifically for the operation. One Kuwaiti serviceman sustained injuries during the confrontation before all four individuals were taken into custody. Media reports indicated the incident occurred on May 1, with two additional "infiltrators" having evaded capture.

The diplomatic escalation was swift. Kuwait's Foreign Ministry summoned Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait Mohammad Toutounchi and formally handed him an official protest note over the incident.

Tehran offered a sharply contrasting account. Iran's Foreign Ministry stated that four Iranian officers had drifted into Kuwaiti territorial waters inadvertently due to a navigation system malfunction while conducting a routine maritime patrol — not a covert infiltration mission. The ministry issued a stern rebuke, strongly condemning what it described as the Kuwaiti government's "inappropriate action of making political and propaganda exploitation" of the episode.

Iran stressed its respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all regional nations, urging Kuwaiti authorities to resolve the matter through official diplomatic channels and to refrain from "hasty comments and baseless claims." Tehran also demanded immediate consular access to the detained Iranian nationals in line with international law, and called for their prompt release.

The incident arrives against a backdrop of sharply elevated regional tensions following U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran. Kuwait previously reported intercepting hundreds of drones and missiles during the conflict before a ceasefire came into effect on April 8.

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