The two countries cannot convince the other Gulf states to retaliate against Iran while diplomatic channels remain open. "I think all these factors show that Iran is pursuing a rather aggressive strategy of sowing confusion amongst the Gulf states by targeting only Bahrain and Kuwait and not the others," Ghuloom said. United States launches new Iran strikes and reimposes naval blockadeCollective responseWithout collective action by the Gulf states, Bahrain and Kuwait are unlikely to confront Iran as neither country has the military capacity to respond alone without risking a prolonged conflict. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementThe Gulf Cooperation Council, the regional alliance of Gulf states, condemned what it called Iran's "war crimes" on 18 July, accusing Tehran of targeting civilian infrastructure. So I think the Gulf states are right to set the bar quite high when it comes to what might trigger a collective response from the Gulf."