Kuwait’s interior ministry reported on Monday the arrest of 16 individuals affiliated with Hezbollah over an alleged sabotage plot that authorities said aimed to destabilise national security. The operation netted 14 Kuwaiti citizens and two Lebanese nationals, according to the ministry, which described the group as seeking to recruit others into the organisation that the Gulf Cooperation Council has designated as terrorist since 2016. Weapons along with camera drones and morse code communication devices were seized in the raids, the ministry added in its statement that featured video of the confiscated materials shared on X.
The ministry’s statement indicated that the arrested individuals had planned to undermine the country’s stability through their activities linked to the Iran-backed Lebanese group. It detailed how the operation disrupted efforts to expand recruitment for what it termed a terrorist network operating within Kuwait. Officials presented the case as part of ongoing vigilance against external threats to Gulf security, building on patterns seen in earlier investigations.
Hezbollah issued a statement on Tuesday that categorically denied any connection to the arrested individuals or the reported plot. The group called the Kuwaiti interior ministry’s allegations baseless and stated there are no Hezbollah cells, members or networks in Kuwait. Its denial came as the story drew regional attention given the group’s activities elsewhere in the Middle East.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi responded on Tuesday by condemning the terrorist plot that targeted Kuwait’s sovereignty and security along with any Hezbollah involvement. Raggi added on X that the Lebanese ministry reaffirmed full solidarity with Kuwait and its readiness to cooperate in the investigation to ensure those responsible are held accountable. The minister’s remarks underscored diplomatic efforts to maintain strong bilateral ties between Beirut and Kuwait City.
Kuwait has previously dismantled several alleged Hezbollah cells with dozens of suspects detained over the years according to historical accounts from regional security reports. The Gulf Cooperation Council designated Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organisation on March 2 2016 a move led by Saudi Arabia and joined by all member states including Kuwait according to a statement from the GCC at the time. Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi praised Kuwait’s latest action in a statement reported by Asharq Al-Awsat on March 17 2026.
This case follows another interior ministry announcement later in March of a separate network of five individuals linked to Hezbollah that had plotted assassinations of state figures according to a March 25 briefing by Brigadier General Nasser Bouslaib. The 1983 Kuwait bombings attributed to Hezbollah and allied operatives resulted in the conviction of 17 individuals known as the Kuwait 17 a development analysed in a 2012 Washington Institute report that highlighted enduring threats from the group. Kuwaiti authorities continue to reference such precedents in framing current security measures.
The arrests occurred against the backdrop of Lebanon’s involvement in the Middle East conflict that began on February 28 2026 with subsequent Hezbollah actions on March 2 according to multiple regional accounts. Beirut banned Hezbollah’s military and security activities earlier this month in an unprecedented decision reported across Gulf media outlets. Lebanese health authorities had also sought clarification last month after Kuwait placed several private hospitals in Lebanon on a terror list citing alleged affiliations with the group.
