Baghdad: MP Mohammed Saadoun Al-Sayhoud, Secretary-General of the Generations Gathering (Ajiyal), reaffirmed that Khor Abdullah is entirely Iraqi, highlighting that the territory was granted to Kuwait by Saddam Hussein, and has become a subject of political exploitation in electoral contexts.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Al-Sayhoud clarified in a press statement that no agreements have been established between Iraq and Kuwait concerning Khor Abdullah since the administration of Haider al-Abadi in 2018. He emphasized that the current government has not entered into any agreements with Kuwait regarding this issue. Al-Sayhoud detailed two primary agreements: the first being the Tent Agreement of 1991 between Saddam and Kuwait, which ceded approximately 80 km of Iraqi territory to Kuwait, allowing them control over Khor Abdullah. This agreement required ships entering Iraq to bear Kuwaiti flags and pay Kuwaiti fees, granting Kuwait the authority to regulate ship passage into Iraq.

Al-Sayhoud further elaborated on a 2013 agreement designed to regulate navigation in Khor Abdullah. This agreement facilitated the raising of the Iraqi flag on ships without Kuwaiti interference in fee payments, thereby affirming Iraq’s control over navigation in the area. He argued that contrary narratives are politically motivated attempts to disrupt the electoral process and challenge the current government’s efforts, potentially eroding public trust and misrepresenting the government’s achievements.