Basra movement pushed to uphold rights in Khor Abdullah dispute
Shafaq News- Basra
The Popular Movement against the Khor Abdullah Agreement on Thursday called on the Iraqi government to respond to recent protests submitted by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the United Nations, urging Baghdad to defend Iraq’s maritime interests and safeguard its rights over its territorial waters and offshore resources.
In a statement, the Movement appealed to the two Gulf States to end political pressure and legal challenges related to Iraq’s maritime boundaries, warning against any step that could undermine Iraq’s maritime interests or limit its access to oil and gas resources in its territorial waters.
Read more: Khor Abdullah: A waterway entangled in sovereignty disputes and legacy ofinvasion
About Khor Abdullah Agreement
Signed by Iraq and Kuwait in 2012, the deal regulates navigation and security in the shared waterway, Iraq’s only maritime access to the Gulf and a route linking key ports, including Umm Qasr and Grand Al-Faw, with international shipping lanes. Based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 833 (1993), which defined post-Gulf War borders, the agreement remains controversial in Iraq, particularly after the Federal Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that its ratification was unconstitutional, reigniting debate over sovereignty, economic interests, and maritime rights.
Read more: Iraq’s UN maritime move reopens Arab fault lines over Khor Abdullah
