Iraq-Kuwait maritime border feud flares as Gulf states back Kuwait
Iraq submitted maps and coordinates to the United Nations detailing what it says are Iraqi rights in Persian Gulf waters, a move Kuwait says infringes its sovereignty over areas including the Fasht al-Qaid and Fasht al-Aij shoals. Gulf allies Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman backed Kuwait, while Saudi Arabia voiced concerns about encroachment on a joint Saudi-Kuwaiti zone. The dispute centers on the Khor Abdullah waterway and echoes past friction, including Iraq’s 2019 complaint and a 2012 travel/sovereignty agreement that was later annulled by Iraq’s Supreme Court.