The UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have denounced maritime co-ordinates recently submitted by Iraq to the United Nations, which Kuwait has said infringe on its sovereign maritime territories.
At the heart of the dispute lies the Khor Abdullah waterway. Although the two countries resumed diplomatic relations in 2003 following the fall of Saddam Hussein, the maritime boundary continues to strain political ties.
In a statement on Saturday, Kuwait said Iraq had submitted a list of co-ordinates and a map describing Iraqi boundaries that included Fisht Al Eid and Fisht Al Eij, which it said had “never been the subject of any dispute” concerning Kuwait sovereignty over them.
Kuwait summoned the Iraqi charge d'affaires to “deliver a formal protest note,” the country's foreign ministry said. It also urged Iraq to take into account the historical ties between the two countries and to act in accordance to the law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as bilateral agreements.
Earlier on Saturday, the Iraqi foreign ministry had said it submitted the list of co-ordinates for its maritime zones in accordance with UNCLOS provisions.
Gulf states issued separate statements late on Sunday to reaffirm their solidarity with Kuwait. The UAE expressed its “deep concern and denouncement” of the list submitted by Iraq and the “potential implications for Kuwait’s rights over its maritime areas and waters.”
The UAE foreign ministry statement also called for “any related matters to be addressed through constructive dialogue and diplomatic channels, in a manner that enhances regional security and stability”.
Saudi Arabia said it was “closely monitoring” the situation as the list submitted by Iraq included areas adjacent to the Saudi-Kuwaiti divided zone, where both countries share natural resources in the area.
“Moreover, these co-ordinates violate the sovereignty of the fraternal State of Kuwait over its maritime areas and its water elevations,” Riyadh said.
Qatar similarly stated that the list “infringes upon the sovereignty of the State of Kuwait” and expressed its hope that the rules and principles of international law and the UNCLOS will be considered. Bahrain urged Iraq to “take into consideration the course of historical relations between Kuwait and Iraq, and their people”.
After Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 833 three years later which determined the land border between Iraq and Kuwait. However, the delineation of the maritime border was left to the two countries.
In September 2023, the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court struck down a maritime agreement meant to regulate navigation in the Khor Abdullah waterway following a lawsuit filed by several legislators. Since then, Kuwait, backed by Gulf states, has expressed concern about the court decision and Baghdad has said it honours its international deals and that it has no say over the court ruling.
