The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has been assigned to protect the ‘Durra’ oil field, known in Tehran as the ‘Arash’ gas field, located on common borders with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, Kuwaiti reports have revealed.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council authorised the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to take direct action against any approaching units near the Durra oil field, divided between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, Al Jarida newspaper reported quoting an informed source in the Council, whose sessions are chaired by President Ebrahim Raisi.
The decision came after a meeting of the Council on Wednesday, which discussed the field issue and assigned the Revolutionary Guards to form special forces to protect the Iranian Ministry of Oil’s planned facilities in the field, ‘sending a strong message that Tehran will not compromise on the matter’.
According to the source, although the council agreed to resolve the field dispute peacefully by returning to negotiations with Kuwait, “there is an insistence on refusing to conduct any negotiations on the demarcation of maritime borders as long as there is no recognition by Kuwait of any Iranian right in this field”.
The council rejected any negotiations between Iran, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait regarding the demarcation, on the grounds that the issue of demarcating the maritime boundaries between Tehran and Riyadh is over.
The Durra field, known for its substantial gas and oil resources, has been in the spotlight following multiple statements made by Iran, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, each vying for ownership and investment rights on the submerged wealth.
Recently, Kuwait reaffirmed its exclusive rights to the oil field, alongside Saudi Arabia, despite Iran’s claims to a portion of it, indicating that Riyadh and Kuwait will press ahead with its development.
Kuwaiti Oil Minister Saad Al Barrak ruled out negotiations with Iran over the gas field until a maritime demarcation is carried out based on international law.
The Durra field, which is in the form of a water triangle, is located in the submerged joint area of private economic activity between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in the Arabian Gulf waters, while Tehran claims it extends into its waters.
While Iran asserts its borders based on the continental shelf and the law of open seas, Kuwait insists on defining Iran’s boundaries according to its land borders and the law of enclosed seas.
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