WANA (Aug 19) – The Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait met with four detained Iranian nationals to assess their health and review their current legal status.

 

Mohammad Totounchi, the Iranian Ambassador, held the meeting on Tuesday, August 18, following extensive follow-ups and coordination with the assistance of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior of Kuwait. The four individuals had been detained three months prior.

 

Background on the Detentions and Diplomatic Fallout

The diplomatic crisis stems from an incident earlier this year when Kuwait detained the four Iranian nationals, triggering sharp reactions from Tehran.

 

On May 12, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strong statement rejecting and condemning statements by Kuwaiti authorities alleging that Iran had planned hostile actions against Kuwait.

 

Tehran maintained that the four individuals were regular maritime patrol officers who accidentally entered Kuwaiti territorial waters due to a navigation system malfunction, labeling Kuwait’s political and propaganda exploitation of the incident as inappropriate.

 

The following day, May 13, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi strongly protested the move on the social media platform X. He accused Kuwait of illegally attacking an Iranian vessel in the Persian Gulf and detaining the four nationals in a clear attempt to sow division and tension.

 

Araghchi noted that the incident occurred near an island utilized by the United States to target Iran, demanding their immediate release and asserting Tehran’s right to respond.