Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE express support for Kuwait after Iraq submits updated maritime coordinates to the UN.

Gulf countries have pledged support for Kuwait’s sovereignty after Iraq submitted new maritime coordinates and an updated map to the United Nations.

Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates backed Kuwait after it summoned Iraq’s charge d’affaires on Saturday to protest Baghdad’s move, calling it a violation of its sovereignty.

Iraq said it made the updates based on the lowest low-water line used to measure its territorial sea.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the filing asserted claims over maritime zones and fixed maritime features, including Fasht al-Qaid and Fasht al-Aij. The ministry emphasised that these areas are not disputed and remain under Kuwait’s complete sovereign authority.

On Monday, Oman called on Iraq “to take into consideration the course of its historical and fraternal relations with the State of Kuwait and the principles of good neighbourliness, and the rules of international law”.

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday that it was in “full solidarity” with Kuwait and Iraq’s submission infringes upon its sovereignty, urging adherence to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, said it is following developments with great concern, considering that Iraq’s coordinates include parts of the Saudi-Kuwaiti Divided Zone, whose natural resources are shared by the kingdom and Kuwait, according to existing agreements.

Riyadh affirmed that Baghdad’s coordinates violate Kuwait’s sovereignty over its maritime zones and watersheds, reiterating its “categorical rejection of any claims by any other party to rights in the partitioned zone with its agreed borders between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait”.

It stressed the necessity for Iraq to abide by UN Security Council resolutions and respect Kuwait’s sovereignty, calling for dialogue and adherence to international law.

Bahrain and the UAE also issued statements voicing support for Kuwait’s sovereignty and respect for international conventions.

Longstanding dispute

The 216km (134-mile) border between Iraq and Kuwait was demarcated by the UN in 1993 after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, but it did not cover the length of their maritime boundaries. This was left for the two oil producers to resolve.

A maritime border agreement between the two nations was reached in 2012 and ratified by each of their legislative bodies in 2013.

In 2023, Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court ruled that the parliament’s ratification of the agreement concerning navigation in the shared Khawr Abd Allah waterway was invalid, stating that international treaties must be ratified by a law passed by two-thirds of the members of parliament.

Kuwait, meanwhile, has insisted on the necessity of completing the demarcation of the maritime border with Iraq in accordance with international laws and conventions, a position supported by the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Mexican forces seized rocket launchers capable of shooting down aircraft during the operation Sunday that killed cartel boss Ruben “Nemesio” Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” underscoring how the Mexican Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) amassed military-style firepower over the years.

Authorities have previously linked CJNG to a 2015 attack in Jalisco in which cartel gunmen used rocket-propelled grenades to bring down a Mexican military helicopter – one of the starkest examples of a cartel directly engaging federal forces with battlefield-grade weapons.

The assault marked a turning point in how Mexican authorities viewed the group’s capabilities.

During Sunday’s raid, officials said security forces were attacked and returned fire, deploying aircraft and specialized units to carry out the operation. Authorities said troops seized armored vehicles and heavy weapons, equipment more commonly associated with armed conflict than routine law enforcement.

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Mexican Special Forces, with aircraft assistance from the Air Force and National Guard rapid-reaction units, participated in the mission, highlighting the scale of force required to confront senior cartel leadership.

Former U.S. officials have described CJNG as operating more like a paramilitary organization than a traditional trafficking ring, using coordinated roadblocks, armed convoys and structured enforcement wings to assert control in contested regions.

In prior reporting, former Drug Enforcement Administration officials said the group commanded large numbers of gunmen and organized itself in a way that allowed it to deploy force quickly and visibly.

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CJNG’s tactics have included seizing vehicles and staging coordinated attacks in urban areas to demonstrate strength and deter rivals or security forces.

Over time, such displays reinforced its reputation as one of Mexico’s most heavily armed criminal organizations.

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The State Department issued a travel alert Sunday urging Americans in multiple Mexican states to shelter in place due to “ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity,” reflecting the instability that can follow major cartel confrontations.

In recent years, Mexican authorities have increasingly relied on military forces – rather than local police – to confront senior cartel figures as groups like CJNG expanded their reach and arsenals.

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The raid that killed “El Mencho” marked not only the removal of a powerful drug lord but also another example of how heavily armed cartels can challenge state forces in direct confrontations.