Kuwaiti authorities on Tuesday officially leveled charges against the Islamic Republic of Iran, accusing the regime of deploying an armed paramilitary team to conduct a failed raid on Bubiyan Island, reported The Associated Press.
The targeted area is the site of the Mubarak Al Kabeer Port, a critical infrastructure project funded by China as part of its global "Belt and Road" initiative.
According to Kuwaiti officials, a six-member squad from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attempted to infiltrate the island on May 1. The team was reportedly planning to execute "hostile בשל" acts before being intercepted by Kuwaiti security forces.
While the incident was initially reported without detail on May 3, the Kuwaiti government has now identified the specific ranks of the four operatives captured during the disruption. The detainees include two IRGC naval captains, a naval lieutenant, and an army lieutenant. Two other members of the cell managed to evade capture and flee the scene.
The skirmish resulted in the wounding of at least one Kuwaiti security official. The Ministry provided no reason for the delay in publicly linking the attack to Tehran, though the timing coincides with significant regional shifts and persistent Iranian aggression despite a fragile ceasefire.
The accusation highlights the deteriorating security situation in the Persian Gulf, where Iran continues to maintain a "chokehold" on the Strait of Hormuz.
The Mubarak Al Kabeer Port project had previously come under Iranian fire during the height of the recent war, and this latest infiltration suggests a continued effort by Tehran to sabotage Kuwaiti economic interests.
Previously, Kuwait said it uncovered a plot by Iranian proxy Hezbollah to assassinate "leaders of the state".
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior said six people had confessed to espionage and terrorist activities, including training in "assassination skills". Five were Kuwaiti citizens.
It said another 14 suspects, including Kuwaitis, Lebanese and Iranians, had been identified outside the country.
The Hezbollah terrorist organization denied the accusations, insisting it “has no presence in the state of Kuwait or any other country" and calling the accusations “removed from reality and devoid of truth."
Kuwait has several times arrested suspected Hezbollah terrorists in recent years. In 2021, security forces in Kuwait arrested a squad linked to Hezbollah. The four members of the squad were arrested on suspicion of recruiting young people to join the organization's activities in Syria and Yemen.
In 2017, Kuwaiti authorities arrested a terror cell which was linked to Hezbollah.
In September of 2015, 24 people were charged with plotting attacks against the Gulf state in collaboration with Iran and Hezbollah.