Three More Iranian Fishermen Arrested by Qatari Coast Guard

Less than two weeks after the arrest of three Iranian fishermen, the governor of Parsian in Hormozgan province reported the detention of three more fishermen by the Qatari border guards. According to the Mehr News Agency, citing the governor of Parsian County, the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Coast Guard are "pursuing the release of these fishermen through legal actions." Mohammad Radmehr, the governor of Parsian, stated that two boats from this county set out to sea on Monday for fishing and "unintentionally" crossed into Qatari waters. Among them, one boat "with three crew members" was seized in Qatari waters "by the maritime border guards of that country." Less than two weeks ago, Qatari border guards arrested three fishermen from Asalouyeh while they were fishing near the oil platforms of that country. The head of fisheries in Asalouyeh, in Bushehr province, announced on July 20 that this boat did not have a fishing permit and was seized by the Qatari Coast Guard "due to violation of maritime border laws." The increase in the number of Iranian fishermen detained in Qatari waters comes at a time when the issue of reciprocal arrests of crew members from two Iranian and Saudi boats has made headlines in recent weeks. Iranian media reported on July 6 that a Saudi fishing vessel that "had entered Iranian waters" was seized by the IRGC's second naval zone forces in Bushehr province. The day after, the director general of border affairs at Iran's Ministry of Interior announced that the four crew members detained on the Saudi vessel were Indian, and decisions regarding them would be made based on "reciprocal behavior" from Saudi Arabia towards the detained Iranian crew members. About three weeks prior, Iranian officials stated that Saudi border guards had fired upon three Iranian fishing boats, resulting in the death of one fisherman and the detention of three others by Saudi forces. However, the Saudi Ministry of Interior described the detainees as members of the IRGC and claimed they were approaching the Marjan oil platforms in the Persian Gulf on an armed boat. Iran, however, rejected this accusation. Relations between Tehran and Riyadh have soured following the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia and attacks on diplomatic sites of that country in Tehran and Riyadh. Both countries also accuse each other of interfering in their internal affairs and the region. In this context, fishing activities in Bushehr province have been "halted". Saudi Arabia released five fishermen from Bushehr after a year. The Ministry of Interior stated that actions regarding the Saudi vessel would be based on reciprocal behavior.