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Iran calls for Kuwait to immediately release Iranians arrested on ‘baseless’ accusations
Foreign Ministry in a statement on Wednesday rejected “baseless” accusations leveled by Kuwait against Iran after the Arab country arrested four Iranian nationals for allegedly attempting to “infiltrate” the Persian Gulf state.
The ministry strongly condemned the "improper action" of the Kuwaiti government in "politically and propagandistically exploiting" the case of four Iranian personnel who had been on a routine naval patrol mission and entered Kuwaiti territorial waters due to a navigational system malfunction.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran, while reiterating its principled policy of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in the region, including Kuwait, declares that it expects the Kuwaiti authorities, while avoiding hasty statements and baseless allegations, to pursue the existing issues through official channels," it said.
Iran’s reaction came after Kuwait's Interior Ministry claimed on Tuesday that the Arab country has arrested four people affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps who attempted to infiltrate the Persian Gulf state’s Bubiyan Island by sea.
It also claimed that Iranians injured a soldier during clashes with Kuwaiti forces.
Kuwait said the operation took place on May 1 and the naval officers arrested “aboard a fishing boat specially chartered to carry out hostile actions against Kuwait”.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry stressed the need for Iran's Embassy in Kuwait to be granted "the fastest possible access" to the detained Iranian nationals in accordance with international legal norms, and called for their immediate release.
Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that it had summoned the Iranian ambassador and delivered a note of protest to him.