The UAE Has Been Secretly Bashing Iran

• 12.05.2026, 9:46

In response to Tehran's attacks.

The United Arab Emirates could launch military strikes on the territory of Iran in response to attacks from the Islamic Republic. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing informed sources.

According to the publication, one of the alleged targets of the strike was an oil refinery on Iran's Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf. The attack allegedly took place in early April - around the same time that US President Donald Trump announced a truce in the US-Israeli war against Iran some five weeks after the conflict began.

The UAE authorities have not officially confirmed involvement in the attacks. However, Abu Dhabi has previously said it reserves the right to respond to hostile acts, including militarily. A spokesman for the Emirates' Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the publication, while the Pentagon also refrained from making a statement.

After the Lavan strike, Iran launched a series of missile and drone attacks across the UAE and Kuwait, according to the WSJ.

The publication notes that since the war began, Iran has fired about 2,800 drones and missiles at the UAE - more than any other country, including Israel.

These attacks have severely hit key sectors of the Emirati economy - air travel, tourism and the real estate market. A number of companies have experienced mass layoffs and sent employees on unpaid leave.

Gulf officials assess that the UAE's strategic course has changed markedly amid the conflict: Iran is now seen as a rogue state that poses a threat to the Emirates' economic and social model, which is based on stability and attracting foreign specialists.

WSJ also emphasizes that the UAE has one of the strongest military air forces in the region, including French Dassault Mirage fighter jets and American F-16 Fighting Falcon jets.