Kuwait denies involvement in alleged strikes on Iran
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Kuwait on Saturday firmly rejected a Wall Street Journal report claiming that it and Bahrain had carried out secret airstrikes against Iranian military targets earlier this month.
The denial came from Kuwait’s ambassador to the United States, Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah, who described the allegations as unfounded.
In a statement reported by Kuwait Times, the ambassador said: “The State of Kuwait has not participated in any military operations against Iran, nor has it permitted its territory to be used to launch offensive operations against any neighboring state.”
Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah also sent a formal letter to the newspaper’s editorial board, calling the claims “entirely false” and urging a correction.
The Wall Street Journal report, published Friday and citing people familiar with the matter, stated that Bahrain and Kuwait secretly sent fighter jets to attack drone- and missile-storage depots and other military sites inside Iran early in July.
It described the action as the first known direct retaliatory strikes by either country against Tehran. The United Arab Emirates allegedly provided intelligence on targets and defensive air cover, according to the report, which could not be verified entirely.
Iran has focused much of its recent retaliatory fire on Bahrain and Kuwait, both of which host major US military bases.
The Journal noted that the two Gulf states have relatively small air forces but did not want to allow continued attacks without a response.
Bahrain’s government has not publicly commented on the report.
The broader conflict between the United States and Iran is now in its fifth month, with no clear resolution in sight.
Gulf Arab states have absorbed significant punishment, facing disruptions to oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, damage to infrastructure, and economic pressure.
