The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been secretly carrying out attacks against Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The attacks included a strike on an oil refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island in early April, triggering a major fire and knocking much of the facility offline for months.
Iran acknowledged at the time that the refinery had been struck in what it described as an enemy attack.
Tehran later responded with missile and drone strikes against the UAE and Kuwait.
Breaking: The U.A.E. has been secretly carrying out attacks on Iran https://t.co/f5xubUJXi5
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) May 11, 2026
While Gulf states publicly insisted before the war that they would not allow their territory or airspace to be used for attacks on Iran, the UAE became an active participant in the conflict after coming under sustained Iranian attack.
Iran launched more than 2,800 missiles and drones at the UAE during the war, more than against any other country besides Israel.
The attacks disrupted tourism, aviation, and property markets across the Emirates and reportedly triggered a major shift in Abu Dhabi’s strategic outlook toward Tehran.
U.S. officials are said to have quietly welcomed the UAE’s participation in the war effort, according to the report.
Footage captures the moments after a drone caused a fire at an oil facility in Fujairah.
The UAE says Iran fired 15 missiles and four drones on Monday, while Iranian state media is indicating Iran wasn’t behind the attack. pic.twitter.com/G7SimR4JCS
— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) May 4, 2026
The Trump administration was not upset by the refinery strike because the ceasefire had not fully taken hold at the time.
The UAE has not publicly acknowledged carrying out strikes inside Iran. However, its foreign ministry pointed to previous statements asserting the country’s right to respond militarily to hostile acts.
Open-source researchers and analysts have increasingly linked UAE military assets to operations inside Iran.
You are either with the UAE or with the evil Islamic regime. No silence is accepted. Right now, the Islamic regime in Iran is targeting my beloved country, the UAE, with drones and missiles. The UAE is crushing them, intercepting, destroying, and defending not just its land, but…
— Amjad Taha أمجد طه (@amjadt25) May 4, 2026
Images circulating online have allegedly shown UAE-operated French Mirage fighters and Chinese-made Wing Loong drones over Iranian territory.
The UAE possesses one of the most advanced air forces in the Middle East, including fleets of F-16s, Mirage fighters, surveillance aircraft, refueling planes, and armed drones.
However, the country remains at serious risk of economic catastrophe as a result of the conflict given its dependency on the Strait of Hormuz for importing goods and exporting its vast oil reserves.
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