Saudi Arabia and Kuwait assert exclusive ownership of disputed gas field, defying Iran's threats

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have asserted their sole ownership of the disputed gas field, known as Arash in Iran and Dorra in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, amid tensions with Iran. The two Arab Gulf states released a joint statement claiming that they alone have full sovereign rights to exploit the wealth in that area and called on Iran to negotiate the demarcation of their maritime borders in order to settle the issue.

Iran has threatened to pursue exploration and exploitation of the field even without an agreement. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement last year to jointly develop the field, despite objections from Iran. The dispute over the field dates back to the 1960s when Iran and Kuwait each awarded offshore concessions to different companies.

The recoverable reserves of the field are estimated at 220 billion cubic meters. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia plan to commence drilling and production without waiting for a demarcation deal with Iran.