IRGC Denies Arrest of 3 Members by Saudi Arabia

On Tuesday, June 30, the political deputy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied the arrest of three members of this military force by Saudi Arabia. General Rasoul Sanaei Rad stated in an interview with the Tasnim news agency that this claim is 'absolute falsehood' and added, 'This claim lacks any news value and is more akin to a joke or humor.' This IRGC official accused Saudi Arabia of 'clumsy invention in the realm of psychological warfare,' which, according to him, is pursued 'to meet its propaganda psychological needs.' On Monday, June 29, the Saudi Ministry of Information announced that three IRGC members were arrested while approaching the Marjan oil platforms in the Persian Gulf on a boat carrying weapons on Friday, June 26. According to Reuters, the Saudi Ministry of Information indicated that two other boats accompanied this boat but managed to escape. Based on this report, Saudi officials are currently interrogating these three IRGC members. Meanwhile, Iran reported on Friday the killing of an Iranian fisherman by Saudi forces. Majid Aghababai, the director-general of border affairs at the Ministry of Interior, stated on Saturday, June 27, that two Iranian fishing boats were forced off course by sea waves and were targeted by Saudi border guards. However, the Saudi border authorities claimed that the cause of the confrontation was the 'crossing' of two Iranian fishing boats beyond the designated maritime border. On Tuesday, the director-general of border affairs reiterated in an interview with the Young Journalists Club that the individuals who encountered Saudi forces were simple fishermen whose boat was also a fishing vessel. Majid Aghababai stated that 'the fishermen had no military equipment with them' and accused Saudi Arabia of 'shooting at the two Iranian fishing boats, resulting in the death of one fisherman.' Earlier reports indicated that on the evening of June 26, two Iranian fishing boats were fired upon by Saudi border guards, resulting in the death of one of their occupants. This incident occurred amid deteriorating relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia over the past few years, including the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia and attacks on the diplomatic missions of that country in Tehran and Mashhad. Both countries accuse each other of interfering in their internal affairs and in regional countries, accusations that have been denied by each side. Following the killing of an Iranian fisherman, fishing activities in Bushehr province have been halted. The ILNA news agency reported on Tuesday, citing a Bushehr fisherman, that this is the first time fishing boats have been halted for reasons other than 'adverse weather conditions and rough seas.' Although there have been past incidents of Iranian fishermen entering the waters of Gulf countries and being arrested, shootings at fishermen and their deaths have been unprecedented in recent years. In this context, Iran announced a 'preliminary agreement with Saudi Arabia' for visits to embassies.