Kuwait rejects attempts to weaponize sea routes

KUWAIT CITY, April 21: The Kuwait Armed Forces General Staff disclosed that the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team at the Land Force Engineering Unit dealt with shrapnel and explosive remnants until 6:00 pm on Tuesday. In a press statement, the General Staff stressed that the explosions heard during this period are due to the disposal of the abovementioned remnants. At the regional level, the Arab League convened an extraordinary session of foreign ministers via videoconference on Tuesday to address Iranian attacks against Arab states. The meeting, chaired by Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al-Zayani, was held at Bahrain’s request with the backing of member states. Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit reaffi rmed the unifi ed Arab position rejecting the attacks, which have targeted several countries since February 28 using ballistic missiles and drones, including Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq. Ministers are reviewing a draft resolution reflecting a collective Arab stance condemning the attacks and expressing solidarity with affected states.

The resolution is also expected to propose mechanisms to document violations, assess damages, and pursue compensation through diplomatic and legal channels, while reaffirming the right of Arab states to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. In Geneva, Kuwait warned that attempts to use international straits for financial or political coercion amount to “legal piracy.” Speaking at the 67th session of the Assemblies of WIPO, Kuwait’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Nasser Al-Hayen stressed the need to safeguard international navigation, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, to ensure the flow of patented innovations and technological goods. He said imposing illegal fees or restrictions on shipping violates Article 26 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and condemned actions by Iran and its regional proxies that threaten ports, research infrastructure, and state sovereignty.

He also cautioned against rising cyberattacks targeting academic institutions and scientific databases, warning that theft of research data poses a serious threat to humanity’s future. Al-Hayen called for urgent international measures to protect intellectual property systems and reinforce legal accountability, emphasizing the need to shield innovation from disruptions that hinder development. Meanwhile, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations and Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia Miguel Ángel Moratinos warned that the Middle East is facing one of its most dangerous periods in decades. In remarks to KUNA in Madrid, Moratinos described the region as experiencing “disintegration, deep division, and widespread human suffering,” with no clear path to peace. He criticized reliance on military force, urging a shift toward dialogue, negotiation, and respect for international law. He praised Kuwait as a model of adherence to international legitimacy, citing its 1991 liberation, and encouraged it to continue strengthening regional cooperation, particularly with Arab states.

Moratinos also warned that dependence on foreign military bases would not ensure stability, describing the current approach as a “security trap” that yields counterproductive outcomes. He stressed that lasting security can only be achieved through peace, adding that the current crisis requires deeper solutions beyond temporary ceasefires and that sustainable resolution depends on the will of the region’s people. In latest development, the United States and Iran have signaled they will hold a new round of ceasefire talks in Pakistan, two regional officials said Tuesday, as leaders on both sides warned they were prepared for more fighting if a fragile two-week truce expires without a deal. Neither the U.S. nor Iran has publicly confirmed the timing of the talks in Islamabad, with Iranian state television denying any official was already in Pakistan’s capital. Pakistan-led mediators received confirmation that the top negotiators, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, will arrive in Islamabad early Wednesday to lead their teams in the talks, the regional officials told The Associated Press.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters. A ceasefire that began April 8 was set to expire Wednesday. Both sides remain dug in rhetorically. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that “lots of bombs” will “start going off” if there’s no agreement before the ceasefire deadline, and Iran’s chief negotiator said that Tehran has “new cards on the battlefield” that haven’t yet been revealed. The ceasefire seemed likely to be extended if talks resume. White House officials have said that Vance would lead the American delegation, but Iran hasn’t said who it might send. Iranian state television on Tuesday broadcast a message saying that “no delegation from Iran has visited Islamabad … so far.” Iranian state TV long has been controlled by hard-liners within Iran’s theocracy.

The on-screen alert likely reflects the ongoing internal debate within Iran’s theocracy as it weighs how to respond to the U.S. Navy’s seizure of an Iranian container ship over the weekend. On Tuesday, the U.S. said its forces boarded an oil tanker previously sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude oil in Asia. The Pentagon said in a social media post that U.S. forces boarded the M/T Tifani “without incident.” The U.S. military did not say where the vessel had been boarded, though ship-tracking data showed the Tifani in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia on Tuesday. The statement added that “international waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels.”

By Munif Naif Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff and Agencies