Hezbollah on Tuesday denied having any members in Kuwait after the Gulf country announced the arrest of 14 Kuwaitis and two Lebanese nationals allegedly linked to the Iran-backed militant group over a “sabotage plot.”
Kuwait’s interior ministry said on Monday that the suspects aimed to deilise national security and recruit individuals to join Hezbollah. Authorities also reported seizing weapons, camera drones, and morse code communication devices.
In response, Hezbollah issued a statement categorically denying the allegations. “There are no Hezbollah cells, members or networks in Kuwait,” the group said, calling the claims baseless.
The arrests come amid heightened regional tensions following Hezbollah’s on Israel on March 2 in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes that ed Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In the aftermath, Lebanon banned Hezbollah’s military and security activities, marking an unprecedented move against the group.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi condemned the “terrorist plot that targeted Kuwait’s sovereignty and security,” reaffirming Lebanon’s full solidarity with Kuwait. He also pledged cooperation in the investigation to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
Kuwait has historically expressed concern about Hezbollah’s influence and regional activities, particularly given the group’s strongholds in southern and eastern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs. The facilities linked to Hezbollah were not explicitly mentioned in Kuwait’s circular, but past tensions between Gulf states and Lebanon over security and militant influence provide context for the arrests.
The incident underscores ongoing security challenges in the Gulf and Lebanon’s complicated regional relations, with international observers closely monitoring potential cross-border militant activity.
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