RIYADH: The GCC’s interior ministers said on Wednesday that the security of the regional bloc is “indivisible,” and called for intensified coordination against regional threats following the arrest in Kuwait of cells allegedly linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to a report by the Saudi Press Agency.
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said the ministers stressed the need for closer cooperation among their ministries and relevant security authorities during an extraordinary meeting at the bloc’s secretariat headquarters in Riyadh.
The meeting was chaired by Bahraini Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa amid heightened regional tensions and security concerns linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel and the US.
Albudaiwi said the ministers discussed the regional security situation and ways to strengthen joint GCC coordination to confront challenges resulting from attacks targeting Gulf states.
“The security of the GCC states is indivisible,” he said, adding that the ministers emphasized the importance of confronting all threats to the region’s stability and combating terrorism in all its forms.
The statement came days after Kuwaiti authorities announced the arrest of four Iranian nationals accused of attempting to infiltrate Bubiyan Island, a strategic location near the Iraqi and Iranian coasts that hosts the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port.
Kuwait’s Interior Ministry said the suspects confessed to belonging to The Guard and were tasked with carrying out hostile acts after entering Kuwaiti waters aboard a rented fishing vessel. Two other alleged operatives escaped during an exchange of fire with Kuwaiti forces in which a Kuwaiti serviceman was wounded.
Iran has denied the allegations, calling them “absolutely baseless,” and said the four officers had entered Kuwaiti waters accidentally due to a navigation malfunction. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later demanded the release of the detainees and said Tehran reserved the “right to respond.”
The infiltration attempt drew swift condemnation from Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, all of which expressed solidarity with Kuwait and described the incident as a violation of Kuwaiti sovereignty.
The UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan said Kuwait’s security was inseparable from that of the wider Gulf region, echoing the language later adopted at the GCC meeting.
Saudi Arabia also condemned what it described as an attempted Iranian infiltration aimed at destabilizing Kuwait, warning that such actions undermined international efforts to restore regional security.
Albudaiwi said GCC ministers also expressed condolences to the families of those killed in recent attacks on Gulf states and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
He praised the “efficiency and vigilance” of GCC security agencies in uncovering and dismantling alleged hostile cells, saying the operations reflected the high level of preparedness among Gulf security services.
The emergency meeting comes as Gulf states remain on heightened alert over escalating regional tensions, including Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting the UAE, threats to maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and concerns over the security of vital energy and shipping routes.
