Overview
- Iraq submitted a map and list of maritime coordinates to the United Nations, saying the filing complies with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
- Kuwait rejected the claim as encroaching on its territory, citing Fisht Al Eid and Fisht/Fasht Al Aij, and delivered a formal protest note to Baghdad’s mission.
- The UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman issued statements supporting Kuwait, with the UAE urging dialogue and Saudi Arabia noting proximity to the Saudi‑Kuwaiti divided zone.
- Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Kuwait lodged maps at the UN in 2014 without consulting Iraq and affirmed Iraq’s commitment to asserting its maritime rights under international law.
- Maritime delimitation remains unresolved since UN Security Council Resolution 833 set only the land border, and uncertainty deepened after Iraq’s top court annulled the Khor Abdullah agreement in 2023.