Hezbollah denies any members in Kuwait after arrest of 16 alleged affiliates

2026-03-17 - 15:33

Hezbollah denied on Tuesday that it had any members in Kuwait after the Gulf country announced the arrest of 14 Kuwaitis and two Lebanese nationals allegedly affiliated with the group over a “sabotage plot”. Kuwait’s interior ministry had said in a statement Monday that the group “aimed to destabilise the country’s security and recruit individuals to join the terrorist organisation”, adding that a number of weapons, camera drones and morse code communication devices were seized. But Hezbollah said in a statement that it “categorically denies the allegations and accusations issued by the Kuwaiti interior ministry”. The Iran-backed militant group called the allegations “baseless” and added: “There are no Hezbollah cells, members or networks in Kuwait.” Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes. Beirut banned the group’s military and security activities this month after the attack in an unprecedented step. In previous years, Lebanon has faced tensions with Gulf states including Kuwait, which have expressed concern about Hezbollah’s influence on the Mediterranean country. Kuwait has also faced security problems related to armed groups in the region, including Hezbollah. Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said on Tuesday that his ministry condemned “the terrorist plot that targeted Kuwait’s sovereignty and security” along with any Hezbollah involvement. “The ministry reaffirmed Lebanon’s full solidarity with Kuwait and its readiness to cooperate in the investigation to ensure those responsible are held accountable,” Raggi added on X. Last month, Lebanon’s health ministry said it would seek clarification after Kuwait inscribed several private hospitals in the Mediterranean country on its “terror” list. The facilities are all owned or run by Hezbollah or affiliated organisations, and are located in south and east Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs — all strongholds of the Iran-backed militant group, which Kuwait’s circular did not mention. AFP