Iraqi parliament to review UN maritime maps submission after protest from Kuwait

Iraq's parliament will convene next week to review the government's recent submission of maritime coordinates to the United Nations, notably on the Khor Abdullah waterway, following a formal protest from Kuwait and concerns raised by other Arab countries, Iraqi lawmakers said. 

On Saturday, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry announced that it had submitted updated baseline coordinates and maritime boundaries in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The filing defines Iraq's straight baselines, low-water lines, and the limits of its territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf.

The state-run Al-Sabah newspaper quoted MP Thaer al-Kaabi, who said parliament would invite government officials and legal experts to discuss the legal and political implications of the regional responses. Some lawmakers are calling for a special session on the Khor Abdullah waterway, which they consider a sovereignty and maritime border issue.

Al-Kaabi stated that the legislative and executive branches are cooperating to protect Iraq's maritime rights in accordance with recognised international legal standards.

Baghdad described the submission as a sovereign action to update maritime data in line with international law and clarify areas under Iraqi sovereignty. Officials noted that security and political crises had delayed the process for years.

Kuwait summoned Iraq's chargé d'affaires, Zaid Abbas, and delivered a formal protest regarding what it called Iraqi "claims" in maritime areas. Gulf Cooperation Council states and other Arab countries supported Kuwait, stating the coordinates could affect regional agreements or require broader diplomatic consensus. Iraqi authorities denied any breach of international law.

For its part, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that it had summoned the ambassadors of Egypt, Palestine, and Jordan to Baghdad, following previous statements by these countries regarding Iraq's submission of its maritime maps to the United Nations. The ministry expressed its regret over these countries' positions on the matter.

Lawmakers supporting Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani defended the submission, describing it as a strategic step to advance offshore oil and gas exploration.

Baha al-Araji, leader of the parliamentary bloc of the ruling "Reconstruction and Development" coalition, stated that Iraq previously lacked clearly defined and internationally recognised maritime borders. He noted that the prime minister formed a special committee whose recommendations resulted in the UN filing.

"This is the first practical step toward resolving this issue and securing Iraq's maritime rights," al-Araji said. He added that the move aims to bring significant economic benefits and assured Iraqi fishermen that their rights and safety were protected.

Al-Araji emphasised that the action was not aimed at any particular country. "All neighbouring states are sister countries, whether Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or the Islamic Republic of Iran, but these are Iraq's rights and they have been legally established," he said.

The main disputes between Iraq and Kuwait involve finalising the maritime border beyond marker 162, managing navigation in the Khor Abdullah channel in the northern Gulf, and developing shared offshore resources, such as the Dorra gas field. In 1993, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 833, which officially set the land borders between the two countries after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.