Kuwait on Tuesday arrested four alleged members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and accused them of attempting to infiltrate Bubiyan Island, a Kuwaiti territory close to shipping lanes and oil fields that has a port under construction with Chinese funding.
Bubiyan is the largest island under Kuwait’s control in the northern Persian Gulf, close to the border with Iraq. It is sparsely inhabited at the moment, but will change with the completion of the Mubarak al-Kabeer Port, a massive project under construction with Chinese assistance as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The ambitious $4.1 billion port is expected to become a major hub for container ships, greatly increasing Kuwait’s trading profile and China’s economic influence on the region. The facility could also be helpful for shipping from Iraq and Iran to Red Sea trade routes.
The initial stage of construction was completed in
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