Daijiworld Media Network – Dubai
Dubai, May 12: The United Arab Emirates reportedly carried out military strikes against Iran during the recent US-Israel conflict with Tehran, becoming the only Gulf nation to directly participate in the war alongside Washington and Tel Aviv, according to a media report published on Monday.
The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that the UAE conducted covert strikes on Iranian targets, including an attack on a refinery located on Iran’s Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf.
The report said the strike took place in early April around the same time US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between the warring sides, though it did not specify whether the attack occurred before or after the truce declaration.
Iran had earlier acknowledged that the refinery site was attacked by an unidentified enemy and subsequently retaliated by launching missiles and drones targeting the UAE and Kuwait, the report noted.
The attack on Lavan Island was described as the only confirmed instance mentioned in the report of direct Emirati participation in the conflict.
According to one source quoted by the publication, Washington welcomed Abu Dhabi’s involvement, especially after several other Gulf countries reportedly refused to actively join military operations against Iran.
The UAE government has not officially acknowledged carrying out any strikes. The UAE Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the Wall Street Journal report, though it reportedly referred to earlier statements asserting the country’s right to respond to Iranian attacks. The Pentagon also declined to issue any statement on the matter.
Earlier in March, several Israeli media outlets had reported that the UAE struck an Iranian desalination plant in retaliation for Tehran’s missile attacks across the Gulf region. Emirati officials had strongly denied those reports at the time, calling them false and misleading.
During the conflict, Iran launched extensive missile and drone attacks across the Gulf, with the UAE emerging as one of the most heavily targeted countries in the region alongside Israel.
According to the Emirati Defence Ministry, Iran fired around 550 ballistic and cruise missiles and more than 2,200 drones towards the UAE during the war. While most were intercepted, some projectiles reportedly struck both military and civilian sites.
Iran had also threatened attacks on US military bases in the Gulf and temporarily blocked the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting a major global route for oil and natural gas shipments.
Israel and the United States had stated that their military campaign aimed to weaken Iran’s military infrastructure, counter its nuclear and missile capabilities and create conditions for internal political change in Tehran.
Despite the ceasefire announced by Trump in April, reports suggest that many of the war’s declared objectives remain unresolved, with tensions in the region continuing to remain high.