This is a thread specifically for the war, not a general megathread (use the pinned /c/genzedong thread for that).
Please keep related news in this thread rather than making separate posts. Remember to include sources and avoid spreading rumours.
🔻Wall Street Journal: Iran War Has Made the World's Most Used Chemical Scarce
🔹Sulfuric acid, known as the most widely used chemical compound on Earth, plays a vital role in the production of phosphate fertilizers, copper and nickel extraction, computer chip manufacturing, and even municipal water treatment.
🔹At the same time, China, as the world's largest sulfur producer, has imposed strict export restrictions to ensure domestic food security and control fertilizer prices.
🔹This move has put the most pressure on countries like Chile (the largest copper producer) and Indonesia (a key nickel producer for electric vehicle batteries), raising prices in these regions by up to 80%.
⭕️ 2,846 people have been killed and 8,693 injured in US-backed Israeli attacks on Lebanon since 2 March, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/59319
💠 Pezeshkian: The people of Iran have shown that the way to overcome problems is national solidarity
BRICS summit ends with no joint statement amid deepening Iran, UAE row
Tehran has demanded that all members of the bloc condemn the ‘unlawful aggression’ launched by the US and Israel
🇮🇷| Moments ago, Iran’s IRGC seized a vessel, northeast of Fujairah (UAE), and is taking it to Iranian territorial waters.
❗️Hezbollah announced 12 more operations on Saturday, 16 May, in response to ongoing Israeli violations, bringing the total to 17 so far:
• Between 17:00 and 18:00, shelled gatherings of Israeli troops and vehicles at Khillet al-Raj in Deir Siryan with artillery and repeated rocket barrages.
• Targeted an Israeli bulldozer at Khillet al-Raj in Deir Siryan with an attack drone, scoring a direct hit.
• Targeted an Israeli surveillance camera in Taybeh with an attack drone, scoring a direct hit.
• Conducted a large-scale fire assault on all Israeli military positions in Bayyada using artillery and repeated rocket salvos.
• Targeted an Israeli command post in Bayyada with an attack drone, scoring a direct hit.
• Targeted an Israeli Humvee on the Bayyada–Naqoura road with an attack drone, scoring a direct hit.
• Detonated an explosive device against an Israeli bulldozer advancing from Rshaf to Haddatha; a rescue force that arrived to recover the vehicle entered a minefield and was also hit.
• Detonated a second explosive device against another Israeli bulldozer advancing from Rshaf to Haddatha.
• Targeted a Merkava tank in Bayyada with a guided missile, scoring a direct hit.
• Targeted the Ya'ra barracks with a swarm of attack drones.
• Targeted an Israeli command post in Bayyada with two attack drones, scoring a direct hit.
• Detonated a cluster of explosive devices against a third Israeli bulldozer advancing from Rshaf to Haddatha.
🇸🇦🇺🇸🇮🇷| According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia retaliated in a tit-for-tat manner against Iranian attacks on its soil (which largely were hitting US assets but ok).
Riyadh reportedly had informed Tehran in advance of the strikes, which eventually led to an understanding to pursue de-escalation.
@FotrosResistancee
https://t.me/FotrosResistancee/21600
🇺🇸🇦🇪🇮🇷| So it’s confirmed now.
The VLCC supertanker we saw on satellite imagery, with Iranian fast attack boats swarming around it, belongs to the UAE and was struck with Iranian drones.
The supertanker was secretly transferring oil cargo from east UAE to another tanker. (Source: Tankers Trackers)
@FotrosResistancee
❗️Iran secures overland trade routes through Pakistan to bypass US maritime pressure
As the US naval presence continues to disrupt trade in the Persian Gulf, the Islamic Republic has successfully pivoted eastward to secure its commercial lifelines through a new land corridor with Pakistan, according to documents from the Pakistani Ministry of Commerce. By activating the SRO 691 regulatory order, Tehran and Islamabad have opened six strategic transit routes that allow third-party cargo to reach Iran via Pakistani territory, effectively bypassing a maritime blockade now entering its fifth week. This shift not only preserves Iran’s access to regional markets but also revives a dormant infrastructure project that connects the Pakistani ports of Karachi, Port Qasim, and Gwadar directly to the Iranian border crossings of Taftan and Gabd.
The activation of these corridors through Balochistan represents a significant logistical realignment, as cargo can now move from deep-water ports to the Iranian interior via land routes that are insulated from naval interference. For the Pakistani government, the move operationalizes transit pathways that had been largely inactive for two decades, positioning the country as a vital commercial bridge between the Indian Ocean and Central Asia. This "eastern opening" provides Tehran with a critical alternative to the volatile maritime routes of the Gulf, ensuring that essential goods continue to flow despite the "maximum pressure" campaign led by Washington and its regional allies.
By integrating major hubs like Gwadar into its supply chain, Iran is tapping into a broader Eurasian network that complicates western efforts to enforce total economic isolation. The move signals a transition toward overland trade as a permanent strategic asset for the Islamic Republic, reducing its historical vulnerability to maritime chokepoints and naval blockades.
🇺🇸🇮🇷| Vance on Iran talks: “I think we are making progress.”
We’re stuck in a vicious circle:
We are close to a deal.
Iran’s response is not reasonable.
We are close to a deal.
Iran’s response is not reasonable.
We are close to a deal.
Iran’s response is not reasonable.
We are close to a deal
Turkey arrested and handed to the U.S a commander from the Iraqi Kataeb Hezbullah
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/15/nyregion/hezbollah-arrest-nyc-jewish-targets.html
[2026-05-15] @s_m_marandi@twitter.com: War may be imminent. In case of further military aggression, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Axis of Resistance will go much further and strike much harder than in the 39-day Epstein War.
"Sources tell me Israel is stable, please God"
📸 Since the beginning of May, 50 American transport planes have entered this country's bases in the Middle East, especially the successful Al-Salti base in Jordan.
🇮🇷 @QODS_COM | Quds Force news
❗️WFP halves food aid in Syria amid funding shortfall
The World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday that it has been forced to cut emergency food assistance in Syria by half due to a lack of funding, warning that millions of people remain at risk.
The WFP said in a statement that the number of people receiving emergency food aid in Syria dropped from 1.3 million to 650,000 in May, and that its operations have been reduced across all 14 governorates to just seven.
At the same time, 7.2 million Syrians are still considered severely food insecure, including 1.6 million facing extreme hunger, according to the agency.
“The reduction in WFP’s assistance is driven solely by funding constraints, not by a decrease in needs,” WFP country director in Syria Marianne Ward said in the statement.
The agency also suspended a bread subsidy program that had supported over 300 bakeries with fortified wheat flour.
🇺🇸🇦🇪🇮🇷| Trump’s admin are allegedly pushing the UAE to do their own dirty work in the Persian Gulf by attacking & seizing one of Iran’s 3 islands.
The US failed to achieve control over the Strait of Hormoz, so they want the sand zionists to do their dirty work instead.
💠 Daily Mail: Villagers in England have turned to detectives and local patrols to chase fuel thieves
🔹Residents of rural areas and owners of independent fuel stations have formed local patrol groups following an unprecedented wave of petrol and diesel thefts.
🔹These thieves, who often operate with vehicles bearing obscured license plates and large tanks installed in the trunk, have caused heavy damage to small family businesses.
🔹Owners of these stations say their profit margins are very slim due to rising global prices and heavy taxes, and any major theft can wipe out their income for a month.
🔹Many of these family businesses have been forced to raise the price per liter of fuel to compensate for losses caused by theft.
https://t.me/sepahnewsir403/14368
THis is one of several consequences of the US provoked war.
Classic petit-bourg had to complain about taxes being too heavy while inadvertantly admitting that they are still making profits while taking advantage of a global crisis.
Many of these family businesses have been forced to raise the price per liter of fuel to compensate for losses caused by theft.
In other words, only the customers are suffering, the captialist can always just raise prices!
Israel continues to target Lebanese civilians, journalists, and rescue workers, killing at least 110 paramedics since the so-called 'ceasefire' took effect a month ago
From HB news mega (post body, "Relative Quiet Continues; US Destroyers Test Luck And Flee; Iran Seemingly Eager To Keep Firing", 1 day late)
spoiler
Image is from this Bloomberg article, depicting world oil inventories plunging towards the operational floor at which pipelines and refineries cease operating, which is expected to occur in September at current rates.
A pretty short preamble below, in spoiler tags.
spoiler summary The conflict continues to be kept at a relatively low level despite Iran’s fiery encounters with US destroyers. I think it’s only becoming increasingly obvious that the US is trying to cobble together some major clandestine operation mixing special forces, the air force, and naval destroyers to either seize Iranian uranium, take control of Iranian seaports, or both. Given a) how the Istafan op went, b) further Iranian preparations around sensitive sites, and c) a seeming strengthening of Iranian air defense around the Persian Gulf (multiple drones and manned aircraft have squawked emergency codes and potentially been shot down over the last few weeks), I find it difficult to imagine this operation fulfilling its objective, and even if did somehow work, why the removal of uranium would necessitate Iran ending the blockade and the war. On that note, I’ve seen reports that Iran is saying that if the US attacks their oil tankers again, they will resume firing on US military bases.
Additionally, Aragchi has stated that not only has Iran’s missile/launcher stockpiles not gone down from pre-conflict, it has actually increased by 20%. This is unsurprising given the total war that Iran is now in; all resources within reason must now be funnelling towards drone and missile production.
Atrocities in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon are continuing. The toll that FPV drones are taking on the common Zionist soldiery are quickly becoming apparent, as we are receiving ever-increasing amounts of footage of vehicles and gatherings of soldiers being struck by Hezbollah’s drones. The casualty situation is, as expected, being hidden, but any kind of serious occupation of even the border villages of southern Lebanon (let alone up to the Litani) seems unsustainable. :::
Source: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/11578569 (post body)
Hapag-Lloyd Container Line:
We are incurring additional costs of between 50 and 60 million dollars per week due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
💠 Short news
🔹 Financial Times: High fuel prices are destroying American prosperity. Economists expect that after considering the entire military bill, the losses will be much greater than officially announced.
🔹 Trump: The ceasefire with Iran is on life support.
🔹 Channel 14 Hebrew: Hezbollah's explosive drones have become a nightmare for Israel's military leadership.
🔹 Trump: I am considering resuming the Freedom project in the Strait of Hormuz.
🔹 Aramco CEO: Even if the Strait of Hormuz opens today, it will take months for the oil market to return to balance. But if the reopening of the strait is delayed by a few more weeks, normalization of conditions will take until 2027.
🔹 Hezbollah Lebanon announced that it targeted a newly established command center of the Israeli regime's army in the town of Al-Biyadah in southern Lebanon with rocket attacks.
💠 Political analyst from Iran:
Trump's trip to China should be considered part of the "war diplomacy" between Washington and Beijing; a war whose main field is the economy
sepahnews.ir | Sepah News
Video in https://t.me/sepahnewsir403/14330
🔴 Sheikh Naim Qassem: Iran's support enabled us to stand against occupation
🔹 The Secretary-General of Hezbollah Lebanon in a message to Ayatollah Arafi, the director of Iran's seminaries: We are grateful for the sincere and continuous support of the Islamic Republic of Iran from the beginning until today; support that started by the order of Imam Khomeini (may God bless him) and continued under the guidance of Imam Khamenei (may his secret be sanctified) through the Revolutionary Guards and especially the Quds Force.
🔹 The recent American-Israeli aggression against Iran is an attack on the flag of resistance, independence, and support for Palestine and Jerusalem; however, the Iranian nation and its wise leadership, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei (may his shadow last), will also overcome this stage with victory.
🇮🇷 @QODS_COM | Quds Force news
❗️Lebanon tired of 'foreign projects', Salam says
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Friday that Lebanon had endured enough “reckless” wars fought in the service of foreign interests, while urging greater Arab and international backing for Beirut in its negotiations with Israel.
Addressing guests at an NGO dinner, Salam said he aimed to “mobilize all Arab and international support to bolster our position in the negotiations” with Israel. His remarks came shortly after the latest round of talks concluded with an agreement to extend the current 'truce' for another 45 days.
Salam said Lebanon had “enough of these reckless adventures serving foreign projects or interests.” He also stressed that the Lebanese army should remain the sole armed force in the country.
(AFP)
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/59729
Is there any government more obviously a US puppet then Lebanon’s? It's absurd that the country is literally being ethnically cleansed under constant bombardment and still these dogs bark when they're told (largely at Iran).
🇱🇧🇮🇱| Hezbollah has published footage of one of its largest combined FPV drone attacks against Israeli assets at a military outpost near Houla.
The FPV drones assassinated an Israeli individual inside a car, struck a military vehicle and a tank.
🇧🇭| Days after Bahrain received international media backlash for arresting Bahraini Shia muslims (on grounds of no evidence) its interior minister is now trying to embolden the narrative that only those who worked for Iran were arrested, not just because they are Bahraini shiites (which is absolutely nonsense).
Many of those who were arrested didn’t even protest or said anything publicly.
Meanwhile house raids and arrests continue in Bahrain, with dozens of shiite scholars, clerics being attested accused of “working with Iran” (absolute nonsense).
“I know that I will be arrested because of this video, but imprisonment with dignity is better than a life in humiliation.”
Words said by Mulla Ali Al-Jardabi before being arrested for delivering criticism of the King of Bahrain, following the arrest of his fellow Shia scholars on purely sectarian grounds.
🇮🇷🇺🇸🇦🇪| Iranian strikes severely damaged the UAE’s Habshan gas plant, cutting output to around 60%, during the Ramadan 2026 war
ADNOC Gas expects only 80% recovery by end-2026, with full operations not returning until 2027.
🇮🇷| IRGC Navy Dep Commander:
• Our control over the Strait of Hormoz area has become larger for us.
In the past, the Strait of Hormoz was defined as a limited area around islands such as Hormoz and Hengam, but now, under the new plan, the area has significantly expanded and is defined as a strategic zone extending from the coasts of Jask and Siri to beyond the major islands.
• We are closely monitoring every movement.
Death to Amerikkka! Israel must perish!
💠 Destruction of 5.5 trillion rupees in the Indian stock market
🔹 The Indian stock market is falling due to last night's request from the country's Prime Minister to the people.
🔹 Last night, Modi asked the people on national television not to buy gold, not to travel abroad, and to reduce fuel consumption in order to spend less foreign currency by any means. India's foreign exchange reserves have decreased by 38 billion dollars since the attack on Iran, which is about the amount of Iran's oil sales in one year.
❗️Excerpts from Hamas's statement on the 78th anniversary of the Nakba:
"On the 78th anniversary of the Nakba: There is no legitimacy and no sovereignty for the occupation over the land of Palestine, no matter how much time passes or how great the sacrifices; we call on the world to criminalize the occupation, work to stop its terrorism against our land, our people, and our holy sites, and enable our people to attain their legitimate rights and establish their independent state with Jerusalem as Its capital."
"For 78 years, the great Palestinian people have remained steadfast on their land, holding firmly to their rights and national principles, defending their identity and holy sites, and presenting at every stage of the conflict with the enemy the finest examples of heroism, sacrifice, patience, jihad, and selflessness. All attempts by the occupation, despite the passing years, to reshape Palestinian consciousness, undermine resistance, erase the cause, and consign it to oblivion have ended in complete failure."
"The crime of displacing our people from their land 78 years ago, under the weight of massacres and systematic terrorism, was a horrific and unprecedented crime in modern history and a blatant violation of all values, laws, conventions, and norms. It is the same policy that the fascist occupation government continues to carry out today in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and occupied Jerusalem before the eyes of the world, without any real action to stop this terrorism, which has gone beyond the borders of Palestine and has become a genuine threat to the security and stability of the region and the world."
"There is no legitimacy and no sovereignty for the Zionist occupation over our blessed historic land, foremost among it Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, the central titles of the conflict with the enemy. The occupation will not succeed in erasing their features or Judaizing them. The blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque was, and will remain, purely Islamic, and our people will continue to hold firmly to Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Palestine. They will not allow the facts of history and reality to be altered and will sacrifice their lives and souls for their liberation."
"Resistance in all its forms is a natural and legitimate right guaranteed by international conventions, laws, and divine teachings to peoples living under occupation. The weapons of resistance in Palestine are inseparably linked to the existence of the occupation, and any talk of disarming the resistance while the occupation and its crimes persist constitutes alignment with the enemy’s agenda to impose its control, entrench its aggression, and erase the essence of our just cause."
"The foundation of the conflict in the region is the existence of the Zionist occupation on the land of Palestine. The continuation of its aggression and uninterrupted crimes over 78 years is a stain of shame on the foreheads of all those who remain silent or fail to criminalize it, expose it, and prosecute its leaders. Bias toward the occupation and the policy of double standards adopted by some countries in dealing with our just cause is a grave sin. We call on them to reverse this course and enable our people to secure their rights, determine their destiny, and end the occupation.
❗️Statement Issued by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Movement on the 78th Anniversary of the Nakba
"The 78th anniversary of the Nakba comes this year amid the escalating American-Zionist aggression against our nation, at the heart of which is Palestine, in unrelenting attempts to impose hegemony and control over our Arab and Islamic homeland, and to expand the occupation at the expense of the peoples of our region, especially in Syria and Lebanon, while threatening Arab and Islamic national security, particularly in Jordan, Egypt, and the Gulf states.
This confirms that the Zionist project in Palestine does not target Palestine alone, with its borders and people, but rather targets the entire Arab and Islamic nation. The statements of the leaders and criminals of the usurping entity, through their repeated declarations about expanding the scope of the occupation, extending regional dominance, and establishing what they call “Greater Israel,” confirm the dimensions of these dangers at the Arab and Islamic levels.
In occupied Palestine, the war criminals in the government of the entity and its army continue to commit all forms of war crimes and crimes against humanity by persisting in the war of extermination against our people in Gaza, repudiating all agreements, continuing the policy of siege, imposing facts on the ground, and maintaining constant threats of war. They also continue to commit crimes against civilians among our people in the West Bank and in the occupied interior, including assaults on innocent people, homes, and property, and the desecration of Islamic and Christian holy sites, foremost among them the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.
This reaches its peak today in the desecration of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the repeated chants hostile to Arabs and Muslims, with the full support of the Zionist government and its security apparatuses, and with the participation of government ministers and members of the Knesset, in further insult to Islamic holy sites and in continuation of plans to drag the entire region into a religious war to satisfy sick delusions rooted in Talmudic myths and distorted biblical fantasies.
Amid all of this, the criminal entity continues to wage war against the refugees of our people, even inside their camps in host countries, through continuous incitement against them and ongoing efforts to end the work of UNRWA and erase the issue of return and refugees.
On the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, we affirm the following:
First: The Zionist project is an imminent danger to all the peoples and states of our region. Therefore, confronting this project is a religious, national, and moral duty, and everyone must assume their full responsibility in repelling the danger posed by this criminal entity.
Second: We affirm that the Zionist entity, despite all the crimes, aggressive practices, massacres, and war of extermination committed against our people and the peoples of our nation, is living through a profound existential crisis that none of these practices will save it from, thanks to the steadfastness of the forces of resistance in all arenas. On this occasion, we extend our thanks to all the mujahideen in every arena—in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq—and foremost among them the Islamic Republic of Iran, with its courageous people, wise leadership, and strong government.
Third: We renew our call to all sincere and free people from among the sons and daughters of our nation and the world to continue showing solidarity, exposing the criminal practices of the usurping entity and its sponsors in the US administration, and condemning those who remain silent, passive, or complicit with the entity and its schemes against our holy sites and the peoples of our nation."
Since Syria's extremist-led government came to power over a year ago, western rights groups and media have documented dozens of cases of Alawite women who have been abducted, raped, and enslaved
New Hezbollah hunt in southern Lebanon / Watch
🇮🇷 @QODS_COM | IRGC news
Video in https://t.me/QODS_COM/182822
🇺🇸🇮🇷| US Secretary of War:
If necessary, we have a plan to escalate the situation in Iran.
We will not reveal the next step against Iran due to the danger of the mission that Trump is undertaking.
the mission that Trump is undertaking.
What, is he going to Mission Impossible style break into Iran? I think he'd need a stunt double for that at the very least.
(I'm assuming Hegseth means "mission that US military members are being ordered to carry out" but it sounds so goofy the phrasing, like it's Trump taking on risk personally)
🇮🇷🇴🇲🇸🇦🇦🇪| There is a clear divide within the GCC states regarding Iran — Entekhab
Saudi Arabia has remained in diplomatic engagement with Tehran, with 6 phone calls since the start of the war.
Oman: 5 calls & 2 meetings.
Qatar: 5 calls
In contrast, there has been almost no interaction from the other side of the council:
UAE: 1 call (Vp with Qalibaf)
Kuwait: 0.
Bahrain: 0
❗️‘A New Nakba in Jerusalem’: Israel is accelerating the destruction of Silwan to encircle Al-Aqsa with settlements and biblical parks
A detailed report by Middle East Eye says Israel has sharply intensified home demolitions in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem, particularly in Al-Bustan, just south of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Since October 2023, at least 54 homes have been demolished there alone, with most of the remaining houses now under threat. Residents warn that nearly 20,000 Palestinian homes across Jerusalem are currently under demolition orders.
The demolitions are designed to clear Palestinians from strategic neighborhoods surrounding Al-Aqsa and replace them with settler compounds and biblical-themed tourist parks such as the “King’s Garden” and the “City of David.” Al-Bustan, home to around 1,500 Palestinians, is seen as crucial to linking settler enclaves in Silwan and integrating them into what Israeli authorities seek to normalize as part of West Jerusalem.
According to researchers and residents cited by Middle East Eye, the process is not about urban planning but about reshaping Jerusalem’s demography and erasing Palestinian presence.
Settler organizations such as Elad and Ateret Cohanim, described as functioning with extensive state backing, are leading efforts to remove Palestinian families through court actions, demolitions, and archaeological projects rooted in nationalist-religious narratives.
Palestinians say the world’s focus on Gaza has given Israel a free hand to accelerate what residents call a “new Nakba” in Jerusalem. “If there is no real action, there will be a new Nakba for the people of Jerusalem,” longtime Silwan activist Fakhri Abu Diab warned, saying the destruction of Silwan would sever Palestinian communities from Al-Aqsa and permanently transform the city around Islam’s third holiest site.
❗️70 Palestinian children killed in occupied West Bank since 2025, most shot dead by live ammunition from Israeli forces
The United Nations condemned the rising death toll of children in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, reporting that 70 Palestinian children have been killed since the beginning of 2025. During a press briefing in Geneva, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder stated that at least one child has been killed on average every week during this period. Elder attributed the fatalities to a combination of intensified Israeli military operations and historic levels of Israeli settler attacks, describing the impact on Palestinian youth as an "intolerable price."
Data from the briefing indicates that 93 percent of these children were killed by live ammunition, often during Israeli military incursions into Palestinian towns and refugee camps. Beyond the fatalities, Elder noted that approximately 850 children have been wounded in the same period, with documented cases of youth being stabbed, beaten, and pepper-sprayed. The month of March 2026 was highlighted as a particularly violent period, seeing the highest number of settler-related injuries to Palestinians in over two decades.
🇺🇸🇮🇱🇦🇪U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirms Israel sent Iron Dome batteries to UAE
🔴@DDGeopolitics | Socials | Donate | Advertising
💠 CNN: The conditions of war with Iran have changed, but Trump's repetitive narrative has not!
🔹 The war with Iran has entered a difficult and complex phase, but Donald Trump continues to repeat the same promises and narratives he used months ago.
🔹 Trump constantly talks about the "imminent end of the war," "Iran's strong desire to reach an agreement," and the "complete destruction of Iran's military capabilities," while no agreement has been reached yet and the situation on the ground has changed.
🔹 The White House narrative does not reflect the reality of the war, and the American public also lacks broad support for Trump's policies in this conflict.
[2026-05-13] Peoples Dispatch – Iran rejects Kuwaiti accusation of IRGC infiltration
Expand article
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait Ambassador Hamad Sulaiman Al-Masha'an, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs met with Ambassador for the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Toutounji to deliver a protest note following the alleged "infiltration of an armed group associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard into Bubiyan Island". Photo: MFA Kuwait/X
Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday, May 12, the arrest of four people they say are affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), while they were allegedly trying to infiltrate the country.
The ministry added that during interrogation, the suspects confessed being tasked with sneaking into Bubiyan Island “to carry out hostile acts against Kuwait.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Wednesday, May 13, condemning Kuwait’s “improper action” against the four Iranian personnel.
The ministry clarified that the personnel accidentally entered Kuwaiti territorial waters due to a navigational system malfunction, while on a routine naval patrol mission.
Tehran slammed the Gulf state for “politically and propagandistically exploiting” the incident, while reaffirming “its principled policy of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in the region, including Kuwait”.
It also urged the Kuwaiti authorities to immediately release the detained Iranian nationals, and called on the Arab country to “avoid hasty statements and baseless allegations”, and “to pursue the existing issues through official channels.”
Kuwait’s accusations against Iran came a few days after Bahrain had announced the arrest of 41 individuals allegedly linked with the IRGC on its soil.
Analysts suggest that both Gulf states have resorted to accusing the IRGC of orchestrating security plots on their territories as part of a propaganda campaign, which potentially aims to influence public opinion and justify their involvement in the US-Israeli aggression against Iran. Qatar, the UAE, and Bahrain were quick to release their own statements echoing Kuwait’s accusations.
Like Bahrain and other US-backed Gulf states, Kuwait has cracked down on people who peacefully expressed their opinions about the unprovoked regional aggression on Iran on social media.
Dozens of citizens were arbitrarily arrested by Kuwait’s state security apparatus, including elderly people, women, and young children in need of care, according to rights groups. Prominent Kuwaiti-American journalist, Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, was also arrested last March for the same reason.
It is worth noting that Kuwait hosts key US military installations including Camp Arifjan, Camp Buehring, Ali Al Salem Air Base and Kuwait Naval Base (Camp Patriot), which facilitate the movement, training, and logistics of US troops across the West Asia region.
🇮🇷🇺🇸| USAF refuelling activity above the same area where Iran boarded & seized a vessel, northeast of Fujairah.
