Kuwait Summons Iraqi Envoy Over Basra Consulate Attack

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - An assault on a diplomatic mission in Basra has opened a fresh fault line between Kuwait and Iraq, drawing a formal diplomatic protest, a condemnation from Erbil, and urgent calls for accountability.

Kuwait summoned Iraq's chargé d'affaires on Wednesday after protesters attempted to storm the Kuwaiti Consulate General in Basra overnight. Kuwait's foreign ministry issued a statement confirming it had delivered a note of protest over what it described as "acts of vandalism and destruction that targeted the Kuwaiti Consulate General in Basra," calling the events a "flagrant violation of relevant international norms."

The incidents unfolded on Tuesday, when dozens of people gathered in front of the consulate and attempted to force their way into the building. According to information from an AFP correspondent on the ground, security forces used tear gas to disperse the crowd.

The diplomatic crisis was compounded by a separate security incident in which a missile struck a house in Basra province, killing three civilians. An Iraqi security official claimed the missiles had been fired from Kuwait — an allegation that further inflamed an already tense bilateral atmosphere.

PM Barzani condemns 'flagrant violation of international law'

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani was unequivocal in his condemnation. In a statement posted on his official X account, PM Barzani said: "We strongly condemn the attack and blatant assault that targeted the Consulate General of the State of Kuwait in the city of Basra. This act of sabotage represents a flagrant violation of international law and diplomatic conventions that require the protection of missions and the safeguarding of their security."

PM Barzani directed his call for action at the federal government in Baghdad, urging concrete measures. "We call on the federal government to hold those involved accountable and to take serious and effective measures to put a definitive end to attacks targeting diplomatic missions in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region," he said.

The attack on the consulate came as the broader region remains in turmoil in the wake of the war between Iran, the United States, and Israel, which began on Feb. 28. Armed factions within the Islamic Resistance in Iraq have continued to launch drone and missile attacks against military bases across the region, with some operations claimed to have targeted sites inside Kuwait and Jordan.