Iran24 July, 20262 min read
Bahrain And Kuwait Launch First Retaliatory Strikes Inside Iran With UAE Intelligence
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Bahrain and Kuwait carried out airstrikes inside Iran earlier this month. Strikes targeted drone and missile storage facilities and other military sites.
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Covert Gulf strikes
Bahrain and Kuwait carried out their first retaliatory strikes inside Iran earlier this month, according to a Wall Street Journal report cited by Ynetnews and the Jerusalem Post, with the airstrikes targeting “missile and drone storage facilities” and other military sites. Ynetnews said the United Arab Emirates provided intelligence and air defense assistance for the operation, while the Jerusalem Post reported that the UAE provided intelligence on the targets and defensive air cover for the strikes.
The same Ynetnews account said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters that Tehran “will not surrender to pressure,” adding that Iran “will not accept a temporary ceasefire.” In parallel, Ynetnews reported that the U.S. military launched a broad wave of strikes in Iran for the 13th consecutive night after President Donald Trump said Thursday he was considering “a massive attack bigger than anything ever” against the Islamic Republic.
Threats and mediation
Ynetnews reported that Pakistan and Iran are exploring a path toward new talks with the United States as part of an effort initiated by China, and it quoted a Pakistani official saying, “Stopping the attacks on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries is a necessary condition.” The same Ynetnews report said China’s Foreign Ministry stated that “China supports the mediation efforts of Pakistan and other parties,” while also adding that China would continue to “play an active role in restoring peace and stability in the Gulf region.”
Ynetnews also carried Ali Abdollahi’s threat that “for every death of an Iranian civilian, one American soldier will be sent to hell,” and it included his line: “We have prepared direct tickets to hell for you.” Meanwhile, Ynetnews said mediators were working to halt escalation “but so far without apparent success,” and it described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holding a meeting lasting more than five hours on Iran on Friday.
Regional stakes
The Jerusalem Post and Ynetnews both framed the Bahrain and Kuwait strikes as a shift toward direct Gulf retaliation against Tehran, with the Jerusalem Post saying the airstrikes marked their first direct retaliatory action against Tehran.
Ynetnews reported that the U.S. Embassy in Israel issued another warning to American citizens, calling on them to “exercise increased caution, stay alert, and be prepared for possible flight cancellations, airspace closures, and other travel disruptions.”
In the same reporting, Ynetnews said Iran’s interior minister made two visits to Islamabad within 10 days, while Pakistan’s foreign minister discussed a new Middle East initiative with Chinese officials last week.
Ynetnews also described the operational and economic stakes in the wider conflict, saying Iran fired on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz while the U.S. enforces a blockade on Iranian ports and prevents vessels from entering or leaving them.