Italian media: Maritime boundary conflict: Gulf states vs. Kuwait against Iraq

Baghdad submitted a new map to the United Nations, redefining the sovereignty of disputed areas, which triggered tensions. Two strategic areas under Kuwait's sovereignty (Fasht Al Qaid and Fasht Al A'aij) became the focus. This conflict involves economic, historical, and social issues, as well as the division of strategic trade corridors.

Baghdad (Asia News) – Amid heightened tension in the Middle East, the international community is focused on the potential military conflict between Iran and the United States (and Israel), while Gulf countries are concerned about unresolved maritime territorial disputes.

This conflict involves Iraq and Kuwait, with roots tracing back to history (Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990), economy (economic resources under the sea), and religion, as there is a rivalry between the Shia and Sunni sects of these neighboring countries.

Therefore, the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) immediately intervened and, for their own interests, attempted to prevent Baghdad's claims.

The trigger for this dispute was the Iraqi Foreign Ministry announcing that it had submitted a new map and a list of maritime coordinates to the United Nations, aiming to redefine Baghdad's sovereignty over parts of the Persian Gulf shared with Kuwait.

Iraq and its neighboring countries responded quickly and strongly, with Saudi Arabia being the most notable, as it is also involved in territorial disputes and has historical and cultural ties with Iraq.

The documents submitted to the UN Secretary-General on January 19 and February 9, 2026, included new definitions of Iraq's territorial waters, contiguous zones, exclusive economic zones, and continental shelves. The Iraqi government believes these measures "comply with international law."

The dispute centers around two specific seas, which are important components of the new territorial division: Fasht Al Qaid and Fasht Al A'aij. According to regional media reports including El Pa\xeds and Al Sharq al-Awsat, Kuwait stated that these seas "had never been the subject of any dispute before."

Fasht Al A'aij is located in the Khawr Abdullah Strait, a strategically significant (and disputed) maritime passage between the southern border of Iraq and the northern border of Kuwait, and also the main trade gateway from Baghdad to the Persian Gulf.

This area is also home to Kuwait's Mubarak Al Kabir Port, which Kuwait hopes to develop into a logistics hub connecting Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The upstream Iraqi Um Qasr Port handles 60% of the country's cargo transport and is the only deep-sea port directly connected to the global road network.

The leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council made comments on this issue, calling on Iraq to "withdraw" the map and related geographic coordinates submitted to the United Nations. Kuwait considers these maps and coordinates to have damaged its territorial integrity.

The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, recently issued a statement explaining how this map and coordinates clearly "infringe upon Kuwait's sovereignty over its waters and seabed (including Fasht Al Qaid and Fasht Al A'aij)."

He then emphasized that the issue must be resolved "according to the rules and principles of international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), taking into account bilateral agreements, treaties, and memoranda between the two countries."

Albudaiwi continued his speech, reiterating his opposition to "any act that infringes upon Kuwait's sovereignty over all its territories, islands, and waters." He recalled, "The Gulf Cooperation Council has deep historical roots and close relations with the Republic of Iraq, a relationship based on mutual respect and friendly neighborhood."

Therefore, the Gulf Cooperation Council ultimately hopes that Iraq will reconsider and withdraw the map and coordinates submitted to the United Nations, "to maintain mutual trust and stability in bilateral relations."

Last weekend, Kuwait summoned officials dealing with Iraqi affairs, protesting Baghdad's decision to submit maritime coordinates and maps to the United Nations, considering it a clear infringement on Iraq's territorial sovereignty.

The next day, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar separately expressed solidarity with Kuwait. In addition to Abu Dhabi and Doha expressing "deep concern" and "condemnation" for Baghdad's "infringement on Kuwait's sovereignty," Riyadh especially publicly stated that it was closely monitoring the situation.

In fact, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is directly affected by this matter, especially because the new map includes nearby areas rich in natural resources shared with Kuwait.

Furthermore, the conflict between Kuwait and Iraq is rooted in the last century, particularly in August 1990, when Saddam Hussein, the dictator and president of Iraq, ordered an invasion of Kuwait, triggering the Gulf War the following year.

With the US-led international coalition, after seven months of fierce fighting, drove the Iraqi army out of Kuwait. After the fall of the Saddam regime, Baghdad and Kuwait City restored diplomatic relations in 2003. Saddam was later executed by the new leadership in Baghdad, but the new leadership failed to contain the ongoing waves of violence and extremism that still plague parts of the country.

After the invasion, the United Nations passed Resolution 833 in 1993 to define the land border between the two countries; however, this demarcation did not resolve all issues regarding the maritime boundaries, and some unresolved issues still need to be addressed by these oil-producing neighboring countries through bilateral talks.

The main tensions involve navigation in the Khawr Abdullah corridor, which is regulated by a specific agreement signed in 2012 and approved by Baghdad in 2013.

However, in 2023, the Iraqi Supreme Court declared the document "unconstitutional" after an appeal in parliament and thus abolished the document. This move sparked political controversy within Iraq, with the current government accused of making excessive concessions to national sovereignty.

Sources: Asia News

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Original: toutiao.com/article/1858600631230476/

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