Middle East escalation: Bahrain and Kuwait carried out first Iran strikes with UAE help

Washington, DC: In a significant escalation of the regional conflict, Bahrain and Kuwait secretly executed airstrikes against targets inside Iran earlier this month, marking their inaugural direct military action targeting Tehran, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Friday, citing individuals familiar with the matter.

According to the report, the aerial bombardments targeted Iranian missile and drone storage depots alongside other military installations. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) assisted the operation by providing intelligence on targets inside Iran and extending defensive air cover.

Both Gulf nations, operating modest air fleets comprising Western-made combat aircraft, decided to retaliate following sustained strikes from Iranian forces amid rising regional hostilities, the report indicated.


Historically, Manama and Kuwait City had refrained from engaging in direct armed confrontations with Tehran, setting them apart from other regional powers. Meanwhile, countries including Oman and Qatar have maintained a neutral posture to balance relations between Tehran and Western nations, according to the report.

The WSJ further noted that Saudi Arabia had previously aligned with the UAE in launching strikes against Iranian positions during an earlier phase of the conflict, though Riyadh is currently re-evaluating its strategic approach.

The secret military intervention by Bahrain and Kuwait highlights the widening scope of the ongoing war, with both nations bearing the brunt of intense Iranian strikes following the fresh outbreak of hostilities between Washington and Tehran.

In a related development on Friday, Tehran stated that it launched assaults against American military assets positioned across Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan in retaliation for recent US military strikes on Iranian territory.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) asserted that it struck a US military facility in Bahrain, while Iranian state-run media claimed an attack was carried out against an Amazon data centre located in the island nation. These assertions remain independently unverified.

Concurrently, the Iranian armed forces claimed to have deployed attack drones against several US installations in Kuwait, including Camp Doha, Camp Udairi, and Camp Arifjan.

The IRGC also reported hitting the Ali Al Salem Air Base, claiming the strike inflicted casualties on US personnel and caused damage to an ammunition storage facility.

Amid the escalating exchanges, Bahrain's Ministry of Interior confirmed that air raid sirens were activated across the kingdom on Saturday, advising citizens and residents to remain calm and seek shelter in designated safe areas.

Tehran reiterated its warning that any foreign base or facility utilised by American forces to conduct operations against Iran will be treated as a legitimate target for retaliatory strikes.