UAE secretly joined Israeli-US strikes on Iran: Report The United Arab Emirates has quietly launched military strikes on Iran, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, exposing Abu Dhabi’s role as an active participant in the Israeli-US war that has already engulfed the region. People familiar with the matter told the newspaper that Emirati forces targeted a refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island in the Gulf in early April. The UAE has not publicly acknowledged the operation. The strike reportedly triggered a large fire and disabled much of the facility’s capacity for months, marking a significant escalation at a time when United States President Donald Trump was promoting a ceasefire after a five-week air campaign. Iran described the incident as an “enemy attack” and responded with a barrage of missile and drone strikes against the UAE and Kuwait. Tehran has since directed the bulk of its firepower at the Emirates, launching more than 2,800 projectiles - far exceeding attacks on any other country, including Israel. The scale of retaliation has shaken the UAE’s economy, disrupting air traffic, hitting tourism revenues, and rattling its property market. Companies have announced furloughs and layoffs as the fallout spreads across key sectors. More than $120 billion has been wiped from market capitalisation on the Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock exchanges up to the end of April, while over 18,400 flights have been cancelled. Washington has quietly endorsed Abu Dhabi’s involvement, the report said, reinforcing perceptions that the UAE is operating in lockstep with US and Israeli military objectives. Emerging Israeli-US-UAE axis The alignment underscores a deepening axis that critics say has prolonged and intensified the conflict rather than containing it. The UAE has emerged as one of the most confrontational Gulf states, maintaining close military coordination with both the US and Israel throughout the war. That posture has drawn it directly into the line of fire, despite longstanding efforts by Gulf monarchies to balance relations with Iran. Speculation about Emirati involvement began circulating in mid-March after footage showed an unidentified fighter jet over Iranian territory that did not match known Israeli or US aircraft. Around the same time Middle East Eye reported that Iran reportedly shot down a Chinese-made Wing Loong II drone near Shiraz, prompting analysts to question whether Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia or the UAE, had entered offensive operations. Tehran has also sought to widen divisions within the Gulf. According to the Wall Street Journal, Iran warned Saudi Arabia and Oman that it would “heavily target” the UAE in response to the Israeli-US war on the Islamic Republic, signalling an attempt to isolate Abu Dhabi from its neighbours. Those fractures are already visible. Tensions between the UAE and Saudi Arabia have simmered for years and appear to be worsening. The UAE’s recent exit from OPEC has further strained ties with Riyadh, suggesting that the war on Iran is deepening rivalries rather than fostering unity among Gulf powers. Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
Iranian Official
The Iranian government condemns the UAE's covert alignment with Israeli-US aggression as a direct violation of Iran's sovereignty, with the unprovoked strike on the Lavan Island refinery representing foreign interference in regional affairs. In legitimate resistance to this escalation, Tehran has responded with defensive missile and drone operations targeting the aggressors, affirming its right to counter threats to national security.
Israeli
In a critical defensive strike against Iran's existential threat to Israel and regional allies, Emirati forces joined Israeli-US operations by hitting a key refinery on Lavan Island, degrading Tehran's ability to sustain its proxy networks and missile campaigns. Iran's subsequent barrage of over 2,800 projectiles targeting the UAE exposes the regime's strategy of escalation and retaliation, which directly endangers Israel's security and necessitates such coordinated preemptive measures. This action underscores the imperative of disrupting Iran's military infrastructure to avert broader attacks on the Jewish state.
Neutral
According to a Wall Street Journal report citing unnamed sources, Emirati forces struck an Iranian refinery on Lavan Island in early April, triggering a fire that reduced facility capacity for months. The UAE has not publicly confirmed participation, while Iran described the incident as an enemy attack and launched missile and drone strikes on the UAE, with reported impacts including over 2,800 projectiles, more than $120 billion in combined stock market losses, and widespread flight cancellations.
Western
The UAE conducted precise strikes on an Iranian oil refinery at Lavan Island in early April, coordinating with Israeli and U.S. operations to neutralize Tehran’s capacity to sustain proxy attacks and regional aggression. The targeted facility, linked to Iran’s energy exports funding military activities, suffered extensive damage that curtailed output for months. Washington has endorsed these actions as part of a broader strategy to degrade Iranian threats, despite Tehran’s subsequent missile barrages against UAE territory.
Pro-Peace
The UAE's covert strikes on Iran's Lavan Island refinery, alongside Israeli-US forces, triggered a devastating Iranian retaliation of over 2,800 missiles and drones that crippled UAE civilian life, canceling 18,400 flights, slashing tourism and property markets, and erasing $120 billion in market value while forcing mass layoffs. This escalation devastated ordinary Emiratis through job losses and disrupted essential services, even as President Trump pushed for a ceasefire after weeks of regional bombardment. Such military entanglements underscore the urgent need for diplomatic channels to avert further humanitarian suffering across borders.
Global South
The UAE's covert strikes on Iran's Lavan Island refinery, reportedly backed by Washington, illustrate how Gulf states are drawn into neo-colonial alignments with US-Israeli interests, sacrificing regional sovereignty for external patronage. This proxy escalation provoked Iran's heavy retaliation, devastating Emirati markets and infrastructure while exposing the hollowness of Gulf security pacts that prioritize foreign agendas over collective non-aligned stability. International bodies have again failed to restrain such meddling, allowing external powers to inflame conflicts across the Global South.
UAE secretly joined Israeli-US strikes on Iran: Report The United Arab Emirates has quietly launched military strikes on Iran, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, exposing Abu Dhabi’s role as an active participant in the Israeli-US war that has already engulfed the …
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A tanker identified as the Kaifan was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 21 report from UK Maritime Trade Operations. No ships were observed transiting the strait that day. Attribution of the strike and links to prior incidents have not been confirmed by the vessel’s owner.
Goldman Sachs has projected Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in the following year, conditional on reduced Middle East tensions, while noting upside risks from potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea.
Brent prices rose above $91 per barrel amid recent U.S.-Iran exchanges and Houthi threats to Saudi shipments before edging lower on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to preserve an interim agreement.
US forces struck the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, killing three Indian crew members when munitions hit the engine room and adjacent areas. Maritime tracking data indicate the vessel had transported Iranian oil under US sanctions for several years and conducted offshore transfers prior to the strike.
The US military described the action as a precision operation, while reports note the ship was stationary at the time.
Iranian officials reported strikes on US radar and air defense sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, along with the interception of two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The United States conducted strikes on Iranian targets following the deaths of three US soldiers, with the Pentagon stating the actions aimed to degrade capabilities affecting shipping.
Houthi forces in Yemen announced plans to blockade Saudi ports, while both US and Iranian leaders issued statements on further escalation.