Iran condemns Kuwait's arrest of four Iranians, rejects allegations of hostile plot

Iran’s foreign ministry on Tuesday condemned Kuwait’s arrest of four people it said were affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, saying they were on maritime patrol and entered the Gulf country’s territorial waters due to “disruption in their navigation.”

The ministry rejected Kuwait’s statements, saying that Iran was planning “hostile actions” against the Gulf country.

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 U.S. to attack Iran.

We demand immediate release of our nationals and reserve right to respond.

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) May 13, 2026

In a post on X, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister, who has been the face of the Iranian regime, condemned the action and said, “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 US to attack Iran.”
“We demand the immediate release of our nationals and reserve the right to respond.”, he further added.

Earlier, Kuwait accused Iran of launching a failed attack earlier this month on an island where China is helping build a port in the Middle East nation.

The accusation brought on Tuesday came just before US President Donald Trump was to depart for Beijing, where he’ll meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a high-stakes visit over the war and other issues.

Iran didn’t immediately acknowledge the allegation by Kuwait, which came under attack by Iran in the war and during the shaky ceasefire still holding. But that allegation and ongoing attacks throughout the region have threatened to reignite open warfare.

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