The story: Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have “rejected” Iranian plans to commence drilling in a shared gas field. The contention over the offshore natural resource is rooted in the lack of demarcated maritime boundaries between Iran and Kuwait. While rival claims to the field have been longstanding, the dispute has gained prominence as Iran is pursuing rapprochement with both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Kuwait last year elevated its relations with Iran by naming an ambassador after more than six years. The dispute over the gas field has also put focus on the state of the emerging Iranian-Saudi rapprochement.

The coverage: National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) director Mohsen Khojasteh Mehr on June 27 said "preliminary work" had started on energy cooperation with Riyadh. Notably, he claimed that there were...