WASHINGTON (Dispatches) -- Bahrain and Kuwait have secretly joined the U.S.-led terrorist war on Iran, sending warplanes to strike targets inside the Islamic Republic in their first direct military action against Tehran, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The two Persian Gulf regimes targeted Iranian drone and missile storage depots, with the United Arab Emirates providing intelligence and “defensive air cover” for the operation. The UAE, which has already launched dozens of strikes on Iran in the early days of the war, continues to play a leading role in Washington’s unprovoked aggression.
This military escalation marks a stunning betrayal of a powerful Islamic nation by regimes that have already sold out the Palestinian cause. 
Bahrain and the UAE normalized relations with Israel under the 2020 Abraham Accords, turning their backs on Palestinians and the broader Muslim world. Now, these same petty regimes are complicit in an American war against Iran—a country of 90 million people, a pillar of Islamic civilization.
Iran has repeatedly warned that any country supporting U.S. military aggression would be considered a legitimate target. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei has stated that Persian Gulf states enabling U.S. attacks are “partners in aggression”.  
This is a reckless gamble—Bahrain and Kuwait possess relatively small air forces, yet they are now directly engaged in a war that threatens to consume the entire region.
Iran is now striking U.S. military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. The IRGC has claimed attacks on U.S. bases including Camp Udairi, Camp Doha, Camp Arifjan, and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, as well as the Shaikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain. Iran has also targeted an Amazon data center in Bahrain.
These Persian Gulf regimes are gambling with the security of the entire region. Their involvement in this unprovoked war will have serious consequences—not just for them, but for every nation in the Persian Gulf. 
Having already stabbed the Palestinian people in the back with the Abraham Accords, they are now committing the same treachery against Iran, a nation they cannot defeat militarily.
Kuwait’s ambassador to the U.S. has denied involvement, claiming Kuwait “is not involved in any military campaigns against Iran”. But The Wall Street Journal’s reporting, citing sources familiar with the matter, exposes this as a lie. The regime in Manama has remained silent.
U.S. President Donald Trump has
 publicly praised Persian Gulf states for their cooperation during the war on Iran, highlighting their role as regional partners.
Yet Trump’s praise comes with a demand for payment. On July 13, 2026, he told reporters in the Oval Office: “I want to be reimbursed because we’re protecting a very rich portion of the world. We’re spending money, so… we are going to be reimbursed for protection.” 
He singled out Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait as countries benefiting from American military protection.
“We don’t need it,” Trump said of Middle Eastern oil, “but we need it from the standpoint of protecting allies, etc., etc., including Israel, including Saudi Arabia, including Qatar, including UAE. We’re protecting all of them, and we’ve done a very effective job”.