For months, the United States and Israel have largely carried the burden of degrading Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities. Many U.S. partners remained on the sidelines even after Iranian attacks, including some NATO members that continued purchasing Iranian oil.
That dynamic appears to be shifting. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Bahrain and Kuwait conducted airstrikes against targets inside Iran earlier this month—the first publicly reported direct military actions by either Gulf state against Iranian territory. Sources familiar with the operation said fighter aircraft from both nations struck drone and missile storage facilities along with other military sites. The United Arab Emirates provided targeting intelligence and defensive air cover.
Bahrain and Kuwait field relatively small air forces equipped mainly with American and European aircraft. Officials in both countries determined a response was necessary after weeks of Iranian missile and drone attacks, sources said. Neither government has publicly confirmed the strikes, and spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment.
The reported operations occurred amid a broader regional conflict that began February 28. In recent weeks Iran directed many of its attacks toward Bahrain and Kuwait, both of which host significant U.S. military facilities—the Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and thousands of American personnel across Kuwaiti installations. Both countries repeatedly activated air-defense systems to intercept incoming threats. Despite the intensity of the attacks, neither reported large numbers of casualties.
Over the weekend, Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry said Iran struck a power generation and water desalination facility, calling the attack a dangerous escalation and a violation of international law. The UAE’s Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes on its neighbors, expressed solidarity, and urged reduced regional tensions along with the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States conducted additional strikes across Iran on Friday in response to Iranian attacks on American bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and elsewhere. No further U.S. operations were reported afterward, ending a streak of 13 consecutive nights of strikes. Iranian Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour stated on X that no new attacks occurred overnight and that casualty figures remained largely unchanged, describing the previous night as peaceful.
U.S. Central Command issued no new announcements. Axios reported that President Trump decided against authorizing another round of strikes, following earlier comments that he had not yet decided whether to expand the military campaign against Iran.
