Politics

Iranian envoy, Kuwaiti FM discuss disputed oil field

Ambassador Totonchi gave the Foreign Minister a letter from his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, inviting him to visit Iran.

Kurdistan 24 2023/08/04 21:57

Iranian flag (left) and Kuwaiti flag. (Photo: Designed by Kurdistan 24)

Middle East Iran Kuwait Durra gas field Arash Sheikh Salem Abdullah al-Jaber al-Sabah

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The credentials of newly-appointed Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait Mohammad Totonchi were presented to Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah al-Jaber al-Sabah on Thursday, according to the Kuwait News Agency.

Kuwaiti-Iranian relations were discussed during the meeting. Ambassador Totonchi gave the Foreign Minister a letter from his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, inviting him to visit Iran.

The meeting comes as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait announced they are the sole owners of the disputed Durra gas field, to which Iran has claimed as its own. Disputes over the field escalated when Iran threatened to drill in the gas field.

The offshore Durra gas field, known as Arash in Iran, is at the center of disputes between Iran and the two neighboring countries.

"Iran will pursue its rights and interests regarding exploitation and exploration of the field if there is no desire for understanding and cooperation," Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji said on July 30.

Previously in March 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia, with the help of China, agreed to reconcile their relations and reopen their embassies after several years of hostile relations and proxy wars in Yemen and Syria.

This Saudi-Iranian reconciliation comes as the US-brokered Abraham Accords peace initiative between Israel and its Arab neighbors, most notably Saudi Arabia, have been entrenched in a stalemate, despite initial promising developments in Sept. 2020.