Iran on Tuesday night rejected Kuwait’s claims that members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attempted to enter Kuwaiti territory and conduct “hostile activities,” following Kuwait’s announcement that four Iranian nationals were arrested after allegedly arriving by sea near Bubiyan Island, according to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry called the accusations “completely baseless and unacceptable,” strongly criticizing Kuwait for what it described as “political and propaganda exploitation” of the incident involving four Iranian individuals who it said were on a routine maritime patrol mission. Tehran added that the group had unintentionally entered Kuwaiti waters due to a navigation system malfunction.

The ministry reiterated Iran’s commitment to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional states, including Kuwait, and urged Kuwaiti authorities to avoid “hasty accusations” and instead handle the matter through diplomatic channels. It also demanded consular access to the detained citizens and called for their immediate release.

The response came after Kuwait’s Interior Ministry claimed it had disrupted an infiltration attempt linked to the IRGC, stating that the detainees confessed to being tasked with entering Bubiyan Island by fishing boat to carry out hostile operations. Kuwait also alleged that a confrontation occurred with its security forces, during which one officer was injured and two suspects fled.

Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry described the incident as a serious breach of sovereignty and international law, summoning Iran’s ambassador and delivering a formal protest. It accused Iran of violating its territory and referenced international legal obligations, while affirming Kuwait’s right to defend itself under the UN Charter and warning that it reserves the right to take necessary measures to protect its security and sovereignty.