Kuwait said on 2026-05-12 it arrested 4 men it described as affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after they tried to enter the country by sea near Bubiyan Island. Kuwait said the group was using a rented fishing boat and had been tasked with reaching the island to carry out hostile acts. [1, 2, 3, 4]
The Interior Ministry said the men were aboard a fishing boat “specially chartered to carry out hostile actions against Kuwait,” while the Foreign Ministry called the alleged crossing a “flagrant violation.” Kuwaiti reports said a clash or exchange of gunfire followed and left 1 Kuwaiti soldier or security member injured. They also said 2 others escaped. [5, 1, 2, 3]
Iran rejected the accusations. Its foreign ministry called them “baseless” and said the 4 Iranians were on a routine maritime patrol when a navigation-system disruption pushed them into Kuwaiti waters. [3]
The dispute escalated further on 2026-05-13 when Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi accused Kuwait of unlawfully attacking an Iranian boat. He demanded the immediate release of the detainees and said Tehran reserved the right to respond. [4]
Kuwait also summoned Iran’s ambassador and handed over a formal protest note, according to the reports. The two sides have given sharply different accounts of what happened near Bubiyan Island, with Kuwait describing an infiltration attempt and Iran saying the men entered Kuwaiti waters because of a navigation failure. [1, 3]
