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As mediators pushed through a ceasefire agreement between Iran, the US and Israel on Wednesday night, tension was raised between Iraq and Kuwait after a rocket attack Iraqis claimed was launched by its neighbour.
At least three civilians were killed and five injured on Wednesday afternoon when missiles hit a house in a rural area of Al Zubair district of Basra, near the border with Kuwait, according to provincial police.
Hours later, protesters gathered outside the Kuwaiti consulate in Basra. They waved flags of the Popular Mobilisation Forces, an umbrella group of mostly Iran-backed paramilitary groups, as well as flags of the powerful Kataib Hezbollah militia.
Despite riot police being stationed outside the building, some protesters climbed the outer fence and entered the consulate compound. A video posted on social media showed a group of protesters on the roof of the building, pulling down the Kuwaiti flag. There were no signs that protesters had broken into the building, and they dispersed when police fired tear gas.
Iraq's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack on the consulate, saying that Baghdad “strongly rejects any transgression or violation of diplomatic and consular missions”.
“The Iraqi government, represented by the Ministry of Interior, has formed a special investigative committee to look into the circumstances of the incident and investigate the events that accompanied the attack,” it added.
The ministry also said it “strongly condemns the missile attack that targeted which resulted in the martyrdom of a number of innocent civilians”.
“The attack, launched from the territory of a neighbouring country, represents a dangerous and unacceptable escalation, and necessitates respect for Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and an end to the use of foreign territory as a platform to threaten its security and stability.”
The ministry emphasised the need to respect the “principles of good neighbourliness and non-interference in internal affairs, and to cease all actions that could destabilise security and stability in the region”.
Kuwait denied that the attack was launched from its territory. Its Foreign Ministry said the country was “not a party to any regional or international dispute, and it has not and will not allow its territory to be used to launch an attack on any country”.
It condemned the attack on its consulate as a “gross and flagrant violation” of international obligations.
“The Kuwaiti government holds the Iraqi government fully and directly responsible for this attack and any negligence in taking necessary measures to protect diplomatic and consular missions on its territory,” the ministry said.
After US and Israel began their war against Iran on February 28, Tehran-backed groups joined the conflict in response to air strikes on their bases. The militias claimed responsibility for hundreds of attacks, and vowed to support Tehran and avenge the killing of former Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Drones and rockets were launched at several US-linked sites in Iraq, including the country's embassy in Baghdad, a logistics site used by American troops at Baghdad International Airport, the Harir airbase, which houses US personnel, and Washington's consulate in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
The militias also claimed attacks on US troops in Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, drawing condemnation from the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, which urged Baghdad to “take the necessary measures” to halt the strikes.
The US has also launched strikes against Iraqi militias and security forces, including the PMF, with more than 100 fighters killed and about 300 injured since the outbreak of the conflict.
Pro-Tehran militias have significant influence in Basra province, which borders Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and is home to Iraq’s second-largest city. Kataib Hezbollah, which is seen as a key player in recent attacks inside and outside Iraq, is influential in the area.
Tension has been rising in Basra in recent weeks amid drone and missile attacks on energy sites in the oil-rich province.
On Wednesday, the so-called Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a network of Iran-backed armed groups, announced it was suspending operations across the region during the two-week ceasefire.
The move is seen as a step towards de-escalation, possibly paving the way for diplomatic efforts to address regional tension arising from the war.
