Tensions escalate between Iraq and Kuwait over Khor Abdullah

Shafaq News/ Tensions flared on Monday after Kuwaiti vessels reportedly entered Iraqi territorial waters near Khor Abdullah, according to Iraqi security sources.

The Iraqi Navy requested the withdrawal of the boats, but the request “was ignored,” prompting the matter to be escalated to higher authorities. No clashes were reported, though Iraqi forces continue to monitor the area closely.

The incident was described by Iraqi officials as a “maritime violation” and comes amid growing friction between the two countries over the Khor Abdullah maritime agreement.

Signed in 2013, the Khor Abdullah agreement is a key maritime border accord between Iraq and Kuwait. It outlines navigation rights between Kuwait’s Bubiyan and Warbah Islands and Iraq’s Faw Peninsula, following post-Gulf War UN Security Council resolutions.

In September 2023, Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court ruled the agreement unconstitutional, triggering an official protest from Kuwait.

On May 10, Iraq’s Parliamentary Transport Committee publicly opposed Kuwait’s participation in the upcoming Arab League summit, set to take place in Baghdad. The committee called for renewed negotiations on the maritime deal as a condition for Kuwait’s attendance, citing procedural irregularities in its ratification.

Shafaq News sources warned that Kuwait, and possibly other Gulf states in solidarity, might boycott the event, potentially impacting its outcomes and broader diplomatic goals.