The Wall Street Journal reported Friday night that Bahrain and Kuwait used combat aircraft to strike missile and drone storage facilities inside Iran earlier this month, in the first known direct offensive operations by the Gulf states against Tehran. The UAE provided intelligence and defensive air cover for the strikes, according to the report.
According to a Wall Street Journal report published Friday evening, citing unnamed sources, Bahrain and Kuwait conducted secret airstrikes inside Iran earlier this month, marking the first known direct offensive kinetic operations by the two Gulf monarchies against Tehran. The strikes, which targeted missile and drone storage facilities and other military sites, were carried out in retaliation for Iranian attacks on Bahraini and Kuwaiti territory, the report said. The United Arab Emirates provided intelligence and 'defensive air cover' for the operation, according to the report, signaling a new level of cooperation among Gulf Arab states against Iran.
The report comes amid a broader regional conflict that has seen Iran launch multiple waves of strikes against Gulf states, including Bahrain and Kuwait, since early June. As The Zioneer reported on Friday, the WSJ's account details a coordinated air operation that utilized combat aircraft from both Bahrain and Kuwait. The timing of the strikes — earlier this July — and the involvement of the UAE in a support role underscore the deepening military integration of Gulf states in the confrontation with Iran. The report is based on anonymous sources and has not been independently confirmed, but it aligns with the evolving posture of the Gulf Cooperation Council states.
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