In response to Kuwait's recent actions concerning the Arash field, a representative from Iran's Foreign Ministry, Mohammad Ali Bak, formally expressed objections by lodging an official protest with the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Tehran.

Bak, who serves as the Assistant to Iran’s Foreign Minister and the director general of the Foreign Ministry’s Gulf Department, addressed concerns over Kuwait's contentious statements and unilateral assertions.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that an agreement on this issue can be reached in an atmosphere of cooperation and respect for common interests," Ali Bak told the Kuwaiti envoy during a meeting.

He emphasized that asserting unilateral claims is unlikely to contribute to resolving the issue and does not confer any rights upon the party making such assertions. Additionally, he underscored Tehran's willingness to engage in new rounds of talks with the Kuwaiti government, fostering a friendly atmosphere with the goal of finding a mutually beneficial solution for both parties.

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Earlier this month, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, affirmed that Iran is ready to resume talks with Kuwait regarding the Arash gas field and the demarcation of the maritime borders between the two countries.

"Iran believes that agreement on the Arash field case is available in an atmosphere of cooperation and constructive interaction and by respecting the interests and benefits of the two countries," Kanaani said in a statement in response to a joint Saudi-Kuwaiti statement claiming control over the gas field, also referred to by Kuwait as Durra.

At the time, the Iranian diplomat pointed out that raising unilateral allegations through statements and media would not create proper conditions for managing the disputes over the gas field.

Elsewhere, Kanaani expressed Iran's readiness to engage in technical negotiations with Kuwait in a friendly atmosphere to reach a win-win solution.

In January, a joint Saudi-Kuwaiti statement claimed that "the entire Durra field is located in the marine areas of the State of Kuwait."

The joint statement insisted that "ownership of the natural resources in the divided submerged area, including the entire Durra field, is jointly owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Kuwait only, and they alone have full rights to exploit the wealth in that region."

Both countries also called on Iran "to negotiate the eastern border of the divided submerged area with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as one negotiating party, and Iran as another party, in accordance with the provisions of international law." 

Situated in the Gulf waters, the Arash/Durra field contains an estimated 20 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves. Iran has persistently asserted its claim to a portion of the gas field's resources. In July 2023, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait declared their exclusive ownership of the field, escalating longstanding tensions.

In 2022, the two Gulf countries entered into an agreement for the exclusive development of the gas field. Iran, at that time, denounced the agreement as "illegal", contending that it violated established procedures and previous discussions on the matter.

Read more: Iran not to tolerate any breach of its rights in Arash field: Minister