2026-07-11T18:38:27+00:00

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Shafaq News- Baghdad

Kuwait’s Coast Guard did not intentionally cause casualties
when it opened fire on an Iraqi fishing boat on July 3, Iraq’s Foreign Ministry
said on Saturday.

The assessment was based on a preliminary report submitted
by Iraq’s embassy in Kuwait on July 5 using information provided by the Kuwaiti
Foreign Ministry. Kuwaiti authorities later presented video footage of the
shooting during a meeting with Iraqi officials, including National Security
Adviser Qasim Al-Aboudi and Basra Governor Asaad Al-Eidani.

Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein subsequently directed the
relevant authorities and Iraq’s diplomatic mission in Kuwait to pursue the
case, establish the circumstances of the shooting, and coordinate with their
Kuwaiti counterparts.

During an official visit to Kuwait on July 8, Hussein raised
the issue with the Kuwaiti leadership, requesting a full account of the
shooting, while expressing Baghdad’s “deep concern” and its rejection of any
recurrence of incidents that endanger Iraqi citizens and harm bilateral
relations.

He also instructed Iraq’s embassy in Kuwait to continue
monitoring the ongoing investigation and coordinate with the Iraqi Naval Force
to obtain further information and its official assessment.

“Responsibility for maintaining the security and safety of
Iraq’s territorial waters, ensuring the safety of individuals using them for
fishing or navigation, and determining the areas designated for safe navigation
and fishing falls within the jurisdiction of the competent Iraqi authorities,
foremost among them the Iraqi Naval Force, in accordance with the applicable
laws and established mandates,” the ministry stressed.

Earlier this week, the Iraqi fishermen who had been detained
in Kuwait returned to Iraq through the Safwan border crossing. The incident
sparked public anger in Iraq, with calls for protests on July 12 outside the
Kuwaiti Consulate in Basra demanding greater protection for Iraqi fishermen and
the expulsion of Kuwait’s consul from the province.