Kuwait arrested what it said were four members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) who were attempting to infiltrate the Gulf Arab country to “carry out hostile acts,” state-run Kuwait’s News Agency (KUNA) reported.
The four attempted to enter the country on May 1 aboard a fishing boat and clashed with Kuwaiti soldiers, which led to the injury of one soldier, KUNA said.
The incident, if confirmed, would be the first known attempted military infiltration by Iran into one of its neighbors during the war. KUNA named the four who were arrested, including their military ranks.
Kuwait’s interior ministry said the four confessed about being tasked by the IRGC to infiltrate Bubiyan Island, a major commercial and logistics hub, on May 1 “to execute the mission which includes conducting hostile acts against Kuwait.”
The Iranian government denied the reports in a statement published by semi-official news agency Tasnim, calling them “baseless” and demanding that Kuwait grant Iran’s ambassador access to the four detainees.
The four Iranians were “carrying out routine maritime patrol duties” for the Coast Guard, the statement said, and only entered Kuwaiti waters due to a “disruption in the navigation system.”
Kuwait was among the Gulf Arab countries struck by Tehran following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
On Tuesday, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had summoned the Iranian ambassador to “(hand) him a protest note” expressing Kuwait’s outrage over the incident.
Kuwaiti Deputy Foreign Minister Hamad Sulaiman Al-Mashaan told the Iranian ambassador that “Kuwait reserves its full right to defend itself” and “to take whatever measures it deems appropriate to protect its sovereignty and the security of its people and residents on its territory.”