An Integrated Analysis of the Hydro-Political Dispute between Iran, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia over the Arash Gas Field: Incomplete Maritime Boundary Delimitation, Geopolitical Rivalry, and Future Scenarios

Samiei, Mohammad; Al-Agha Bani Hashemi, Saeed

doi:10.22034/rahbord.2026.551168.1868

An Integrated Analysis of the Hydro-Political Dispute between Iran, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia over the Arash Gas Field: Incomplete Maritime Boundary Delimitation, Geopolitical Rivalry, and Future Scenarios

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mohammad Samiei ¹

Saeed Al-Agha Bani Hashemi ²

¹ PhD Candidate of British Studies, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Faculty of International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/rahbord.2026.551168.1868

Abstract

The Arash gas field, located on the common maritime boundary of Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, is one of the most critical energy disputes in the Persian Gulf, whose importance is not only due to the vast reserves of natural gas (20 trillion cubic feet) and oil (300 million barrels), but also due to the geopolitical impacts on energy security, regional stability and relations between coastal actors. This article examines the dispute between Iran and Kuwait over this field with an integrated approach of international law of the sea and energy geopolitics. The main research question is: How has the incomplete delimitation of maritime boundaries led to geopolitical competition in the Arash field, and what are the scenarios for its resolution? The hypothesis of the article is based on the fact that the resolution of this dispute will not be possible without integrating legal considerations of the principles of the Convention on the Law of the Sea and geopolitical aspects, since regional rivalries often dominate legal frameworks. The research method is analytical-descriptive and based on documentary content analysis, using secondary sources such as the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, international reports, and scientific articles. The findings show that the lack of a border agreement, together with unilateral actions by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia (such as the development plan in 2022 and the scenario of progress by 2025), has led to a daily economic loss of $25.4 million for Iran and an escalation of tensions.

Keywords

Arash gas field

maritime delimitation

hydropolitics

energy geopolitics

Persian Gulf security

Subjects