It seems that the violations by the Kuwaiti side have not been limited to targeting Iraqi fishermen in the territorial waters, especially with the recent killing of one of the fishermen by the Kuwaiti coast guard, but this time they have extended to Iraq's natural resources and the reserves that could secure part of the needs of Iraqis for the coming years.
The intensity of the debate increased after Kuwait announced deals and plans to start investing in the joint Dorra gas field, without consulting Iraq, which asserts its rights to the field's reserves, raising questions about the legality of this move and its implications for Baghdad's rights.
Observers believe that the Kuwaiti move raises issues regarding the agreements and international rules governing the investment and sharing of resources from joint fields, pointing out that Kuwait has proceeded with investment actions in the Dorra field, benefiting from regional tensions and the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, in an attempt to impose a fait accompli and surpass Iraq's entitlements without prior agreement with Baghdad.
In this context, a member of the parliamentary oil, gas, and natural resources committee, Qais Al-Jourani, confirmed in a press statement reviewed by the "Video News Agency" that "any move by the Kuwaiti side to start extracting gas from the joint Dorra field with Iraq should be coordinated with Baghdad and obtain the necessary approvals through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," emphasizing that "the field does not represent exclusive ownership for Kuwait, and Iraq has a share of its resources," noting that "Iraq has not actually started investing in the Dorra field, while the direction to work in it has been disrupted due to the regional war being waged by the US-Israeli coalition against Iran, which has led to significant tensions in the region and worsened situations in the territorial waters."
Al-Jourani added that "the parliamentary oil, gas, and natural resources committee will direct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take diplomatic actions to assert Iraq's share in the field and to finalize Iraq's maritime borders by completing the border demarcation procedures in the territorial waters, obliging the other parties to adhere to the agreements and international laws related to the management of joint fields and resources located in the territorial waters, without infringing upon the rights of any party."
He called on the Ministry of Oil to "take a clear and real position regarding the field, and to start operations to explore and invest in it, which contributes to supporting the country's economy and operating electric power stations, especially since the field contains a large reserve of natural gas."
For his part, the deputy from the Rights Movement, Saudi Al-Saadi, directed "a parliamentary question to the Minister of Oil regarding the measures taken by the ministry in response to Kuwait's announcement of a tender to establish a facility for processing natural gas in the joint Dorra field with Iraq, at a cost of 3.3 billion dollars, and whether the ministry has defined Iraq's share in the field and ensured that it is not infringed upon."
Al-Saadi's question to the Minister of Oil included inquiring whether "the Ministry of Oil had determined Iraq's share of the actual production and total reserves of the Jumana Toyina 1 (Dorra) maritime field, based on Iraq's established sovereign and historical rights, and whether the ministry has studies and accurate information and data in this regard."
He also inquired whether "the Ministry of Oil had notified the Office of the Prime Minister or the Cabinet or the Oil and Gas Committee in the House of Representatives regarding the ongoing Kuwaiti violations that prevent Iraq from accessing and exploiting the Jumana Toyina 1 (Dorra) maritime field, despite what he described as a clear conflict with Cabinet Resolution No. (266) of 2025."
Specialists point out that the Dorra field represents an important wealth for Iraq due to its large gas reserves, as well as the importance of gas in supporting the energy sector and providing the necessary fuel for electricity production, which makes preserving Iraq's rights in the field an economic and strategic issue related to the interests of future generations.
This comes at a time when calls are increasing for the Ministry of Oil to take actual and urgent action to confirm Iraq's share in the field, and not to remain silent regarding what is described as Kuwaiti violations, and to preserve the rights of the country and its natural resources, while demands are also directed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take diplomatic and legal actions to establish Iraq's maritime borders, assert its rights in the joint fields, and reject any unilateral actions that affect Iraq's share or resources, until a clear agreement or understanding is reached among the concerned countries.