Ibrahim Raisi's Deputy: We Will Not Retreat from Our Share in the 'Arash Gas Field'

The legal deputy of Ibrahim Raisi responded after a long silence regarding the actions of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in the Arash gas field, stating that "we will not allow any unilateral extraction from the Arash gas field." Mohammad Dehghan wrote in a post on his social media account that "the Islamic Republic of Iran will not retreat from its 'acquired right' in the shared Arash gas field under any circumstances." This member of Raisi's cabinet emphasized that the issue should be resolved "through dialogue" and "we will not allow any unilateral action in extracting from this field." The shared Arash gas field, known as the 'Dora' field in Kuwait, has once again come to the forefront following the normalization of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, with many analysts assessing Iran's share in this field as a "bargaining chip" in this normalization. In this context, on July 4, 2023, the website 'Middle East Monitor' reported, citing internal sources in Saudi Arabia, that officials in that country emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran has no rights in the 'Arash' gas field, stating that "this field solely belongs to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait." The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry also announced on July 3, 2023, that "Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" alone possess "exclusive rights to the natural wealth" in this field. Following these developments, Saad Al-Barak, the Kuwaiti Minister of Oil, stated in an interview with Sky News on July 27, 2023, that his country would begin drilling and production from the Dora gas field (Arash) without waiting for the determination of the border line with Iran. After these remarks by the Kuwaiti oil minister, the Saudi Foreign Ministry reiterated on August 3, 2023, in a statement that the natural resources and the disputed gas field 'Dora', which Iran calls 'Arash', exclusively belong to Riyadh and Kuwait. This interview and statement, along with the official position of the two countries, took on operational significance two weeks later when the Arabic-language newspaper 'Al-Rai' reported on August 11, 2023, that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait had agreed to start the development project of the 'Dora' gas field. The newspaper stated that officials from the Kuwait Oil Company and Saudi Aramco announced in a joint meeting that they would proceed with the development of this gas field according to an agreed-upon schedule. In response to this issue, the Islamic Republic called the agreement signed between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for the development of the Dora gas field (Arash) "illegal" and stated that "it has a share in this field." This reaction was limited to a statement, and the lack of practical action or any negotiations to prevent this move led analysts to raise the issue of the gas field being a "bargaining chip" in the normalization of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Arash gas field, located in the northern Persian Gulf, was discovered in 1967 by the Japanese oil company 'EOC'. The in-place gas reserves of this field are estimated at 20 trillion cubic feet, and its in-place oil reserves are close to 310 million barrels. This oil and gas field, referred to as 'Arash' by Iran and 'Dora' by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, has been a contentious issue for decades. In this regard, Tehran has always sought recognition of its share in the oil and gas field 'Arash'. Arab League member states also do not recognize Iran's share in this gas field. The Islamic Republic's reaction to the statements from the UAE and Kuwait regarding the three islands and the disputed gas field indicates ongoing tensions. Kuwait aims to officially exploit the Dora gas field (Arash) by 2029, while the Gulf Cooperation Council has warned the Islamic Republic about uranium enrichment and the Arash oil field. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have agreed to commence the development of the 'Dora' (Arash) field without Iran's involvement, continuing the dispute over this gas field; Saudi Arabia insists that the 'Dora' (Arash) gas field belongs to Riyadh and Kuwait. The early challenges to the Iran-Saudi agreement are reflected in the increasing rhetoric surrounding the Arash gas field dispute, with Iran asserting its "rights" in the Arash field.