For what felt like an eternity, America and Israel were basically handling the entire Iran situation like two guys moving a couch while everyone else just watched and sipped coffee. NATO allies were literally buying oil from Iran while getting attacked by them, which is a level of awkward that even Thanksgiving dinner can't match. But according to Conservative Brief, some key partners have finally decided to join the party.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Bahrain and Kuwait actually carried out airstrikes on targets inside Iran earlier this month, making it the first time these Gulf states publicly got involved in direct military action against Iranian territory. Fighter jets from both countries reportedly went after drone and missile storage facilities along with other military sites. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates played wingman by providing intelligence on the targets and defensive air cover. So basically, the UAE brought the cheat codes while Bahrain and Kuwait did the button mashing.
Now, both Bahrain and Kuwait have relatively tiny air forces flying American and European hardware, so this was no small decision. Officials in both nations apparently concluded that a military response was overdue after weeks of getting pelted by Iranian attacks. Neither country has officially confirmed any of this, because apparently everyone is playing the "new phone, who dis" game with reporters.
The context here matters. Iran has been concentrating its missile and drone attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait, probably because both countries host major American military installations. Bahrain houses the Navy's Fifth Fleet, and Kuwait is home to thousands of U.S. service members. Over the weekend, Kuwait said Iran hit a power generation and water desalination facility, calling it a dangerous escalation and a violation of international law. You know things are bad when destroying someone's drinking water supply barely makes headlines anymore.
On the American side, the U.S. launched additional strikes on Friday after Iranian attacks on bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and elsewhere, but then things went quiet. Thirteen consecutive nights of operations just stopped. According to Axios, Trump chose not to greenlight another round. Iran's Health Ministry spokesman, Hossein Kermanpour, practically threw a celebration on X, writing that "our dear Iran had a peaceful night" and that "Iran's body is intact. Iranian head is healthy." That is genuinely the most poetic way anyone has ever said "nobody bombed us last night."
Trump had said the day before that he hadn't decided whether to approve a broader campaign against Iran, which in political speak means "I'm thinking about it while watching everyone squirm." Neither CENTCOM nor the White House commented on whether the silence meant a formal pause in operations.
So after months of sitting on the bench, America's Gulf allies finally laced up their sneakers. Better late than never, but maybe next time don't wait until your water plants are getting blown up before picking up the phone.
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