Iraq says Kuwait agreed to release detained fishermen, hand over body after shooting

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Kuwait had agreed to release Iraqi fishermen detained after a Kuwaiti coast guard shooting on July 3, 2026, and to hand over the body of a fisherman killed in the incident. The ministry said it first learned of the shooting on July 5 through the Iraqi Embassy in Kuwait, and that Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein ordered the case to be followed up urgently. Hussein raised the matter during an official visit to Kuwait on July 8, meeting with Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef. Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim Al-Araji and Basra Governor Asaad Al-Aydani also took part in the talks, the ministry said. According to the statement, the Kuwaiti side shared footage with Iraqi officials indicating that the incident took place at night and that its forces did not intentionally cause casualties. Iraq's requests for the release of the detained fishermen and the repatriation of the dead fisherman's body received an immediate positive response from Kuwait, and the embassy has begun processing the required documents. The ministry said it would continue to follow the investigation and stressed the need to establish permanent coordination mechanisms between the two countries on maritime security.