Key facts
- Kuwait has denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming it sent fighter jets to attack Iran.
- Ambassador Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah stated the report is "entirely false" and "utterly and completely baseless."
- Kuwait affirmed it has not participated in any military operations against Iran.
- Kuwait has not allowed its territory, airspace, or territorial waters to be used for offensive operations against any neighboring country.
- The Wall Street Journal report alleged that Bahrain and Kuwait conducted airstrikes targeting Iranian drone- and missile-storage depots.
- The report claimed the UAE provided intelligence and defensive air cover for the operations.
Kuwait has vehemently denied a report published by The Wall Street Journal alleging that the country, along with Bahrain, conducted airstrikes inside Iranian territory. Kuwait's Ambassador to the United States, Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah, formally communicated with the newspaper's editorial board, labeling the claims as "entirely false" and "utterly and completely baseless."
According to the official Kuwait News Agency, Al-Sabah affirmed that Kuwait has not engaged in any military operations against Iran and has not permitted the use of its territory, airspace, or territorial waters for launching offensive actions against any neighboring state. This official denial directly contradicts the Wall Street Journal's report, which cited anonymous sources familiar with the matter.
The disputed report suggested that the operations targeted Iranian drone and missile storage facilities and that the United Arab Emirates provided intelligence and defensive air cover. This alleged action would represent a significant shift from a proxy-war dynamic to direct engagement by Gulf monarchies. The report's claims remain unverified by independent sources such as satellite imagery or official confirmations from the involved governments.
The situation unfolds amid an intensifying American air campaign against Iran and Iran's ongoing missile and drone attacks on Gulf countries and US assets. Kuwait's Emir had previously condemned unprovoked attacks by a neighboring Muslim country, underscoring the political complexities and potential dissonance of any covert retaliatory decision.