The United Arab Emirates has carried out secret strikes on Iran during the war started by the US and Israel earlier this year, according to a report, in what would mark the first involvement of a Gulf nation in the conflict.
The Gulf monarchy was Iran’s number one target since it began its retaliatory attacks across the region, targeting states that are allied with the US.
The UAE has not publicly acknowledged the strikes, which included an attack on a refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf in early April, around the time Donald Trump announced a temporary truce, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The apparent attacks indicate the country will use force to protect its economic interests, after Tehran sought to damage its oil and gas facilities.
Iran said the Lavan Island refinery had been struck in an enemy attack and launched several missile and drone strikes against Kuwait and the UAE in response.
The US welcomed the participation of the UAE and any other Gulf states in the war, one source told the WSJ. The Independent has contacted the Pentagon, which declined to comment, and Abu Dhabi’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which did not immediately respond.
Arab states had been largely reluctant to engage in the war with Iran and were believed to be unhappy at Washington’s decision to launch the war on 28 February, after they became collateral damage.
In the weeks leading up to the US-Israeli attacks, Gulf states were urging Washington to avoid war, aware of the chaos it could unleash on oil markets and the regional economy. Analysts also said there were fears about the impact of regime change in Tehran and the possibility of even more radical elements taking power.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Turkey and Egypt were all reportedly involved in lobbying the US to pull back its threats in February and halt its military buildup in the region, keen to avoid becoming part of a frontline of a conflict they did not choose.
According to Al Jazeera, however, the UAE was less outspoken in the week leading up to the attacks and has diverged from other countries in the Gulf Central Council by deepening ties with Israel and adopting different positions on Sudan and Yemen.
After the war was launched, the UAE appears to have decided military engagement was necessary.
“It’s significant to have a Gulf Arab country as a warring party that struck Iran directly,” said Dina Esfandiary, Middle East analyst and author of a book on the rise of the UAE.
He added: “Tehran will now aim to further drive a wedge between the UAE and other Gulf Arabs who are trying to mediate an end to the war.”
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