Here is what to know about Kuwait-Iraq maritime dispute
Arab Gulf countries expressed support for Kuwait’s sovereignty after Iraq sent a revised map of its maritime borders that reignited a decades-old dispute over sea boundaries between the two neighbors.
A decades-old dispute between Iraq and Kuwait over maritime borders resurfaced over the weekend, prompting Arab Gulf countries to throw their support behind Kuwait.
What happened: Iraq announced Saturday that it filed an updated map of its maritime zones and geographical coordinates in the northern Gulf waters with the United Nations. In a statement, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said it submitted new coordinates on Jan. 9, 2025, and Feb. 6, delineating Iraq’s maritime boundaries, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry immediately responded to the Iraqi move, saying in a statement Saturday that some of the areas claimed by Iraq included the Fisht al-Eid and Fisht al-Aij islets, which Kuwait views as part of its territory.
The two natural land formations lie beyond Point 162 of Khor Abdullah, a narrow waterway shared by Iraq and Kuwait that empties into the Gulf. Point 162 marks the border at the mouth of the waterway.
