Bahrain and Kuwait Conduct Secret Airstrikes on Iranian Targets, UAE Assists – Reports and Denials

Several news outlets, citing sources close to a Wall Street Journal report, say Bahrain and Kuwait secretly launched fighter jets early in July to strike Iranian military sites, including drone and missile‑storage depots. The operation is described as the first direct retaliation by the two Gulf states against Tehran after weeks of Iranian missile and drone attacks on their territories. The United Arab Emirates is reported to have supplied target intelligence and provided defensive air cover for the raids. Both Bahrain and Kuwait host significant U.S. military bases and operate relatively small air forces equipped with American and European aircraft.

Both governments have denied participation. Kuwait’s ambassador to the United States asserted that no Kuwaiti forces were used and that the country did not allow its territory to be employed for offensive actions. Bahrain’s officials have not responded to inquiries. Additional reports note that Kuwait has sought possible Syrian military support amid the heightened tension, and that the strikes have raised concerns about a broader escalation of the regional conflict.