• Araghchi claims Iranian boat attacked in Persian Gulf, says Tehran reserves right to respond
• Kuwait accuses men of attempting to infiltrate Bubiyan Island

TEHRAN: Iran expressed its outrage after Kuwait detained four individuals purportedly linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), following an alleged infiltration attempt.

The move prompted a strong response from Tehran, which said it had the right to respond after the arrest of its citizens.

In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Kuwait of attacking an Iranian boat and detaining four citizens in the Persian Gulf.

“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 island used by the US to attack Iran. We demand immediate release of our nationals and reserve right to respond,” Mr Araghchi wrote on X.

According to Reuters, Iran said its nationals were on maritime patrol and entered the Gulf country’s territorial waters due to “disruption in their navigation”.

Tehran also rejected Kuwait’s statements that Iran was planning “hostile actions” against the Gulf nation, and demanded that its embassy in Kuwait be granted access to the detained Iranian nationals.

One member of Kuwait’s armed forces was injured in clashes with the infiltrators, its interior ministry said.

Kuwait later summoned Iran’s ambassador and handed him a protest note over what it described as the infiltration of Bubiyan Island by the Revolutionary Guards, the foreign ministry said. Bubiyan Island is the largest of Kuwait’s coastal island chain.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2026