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Kuwaiti authorities announced Tuesday the arrest of four suspected infiltrators allegedly linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), accusing them of attempting to enter the country by sea to carry out “hostile acts” against the Gulf state.

According to Kuwait’s Interior Ministry, the suspects admitted during questioning that they belonged to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and had been tasked with infiltrating Bubiyan Island aboard a rented fishing boat.

The ministry said the group intended to conduct hostile operations inside Kuwait, according to statements carried by the state news agency KUNA.

Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said that security forces intercepted the infiltrators after they attempted to enter Kuwaiti territory through the sea route near Bubiyan Island, located in northeastern Kuwait near the Iraqi border.

According to Kuwaiti authorities, an exchange of fire erupted between the suspects and Kuwaiti armed forces during the operation, wounding one Kuwaiti serviceman. The Interior Ministry added that two additional suspects managed to flee following the confrontation and remain at large.

Bahrain sentences woman to life over alleged IRGC links

The Kuwait incident unfolded as neighboring Bahrain announced a separate case tied to alleged Iranian influence operations.

Bahrain’s Public Prosecution said Tuesday that a Bahraini court sentenced a woman to life imprisonment after convicting her of communicating with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards with the intent of carrying out hostile acts against the kingdom.

According to prosecutors, the woman used social media accounts to publish photos and coordinates of sensitive sites and facilities inside Bahrain while sharing content authorities said harmed the kingdom’s military, political, and economic interests.

Rising Gulf tensions over alleged Iranian networks

The latest developments come amid rising tensions between Iran and several Gulf states following months of regional escalation linked to the broader confrontation involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.

The ruling in Bahrain follows the kingdom’s announcement days earlier that authorities had arrested 41 individuals allegedly tied to a network linked to the IRGC and the ideology of Velayat-e Faqih, the governing doctrine underpinning Iran’s Islamic Republic.

Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani accused Tehran over the weekend of interfering in Bahrain’s internal affairs, describing the alleged activities as violations of international law and principles of good neighborly relations.

Iran has not publicly responded to the accusations made by either Kuwait or Bahrain.