Increased Military Involvement of Gulf States: Have the United Arab Emirates Directly Struck Iran?

One more finger in the gears. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the United Arab Emirates conducted military operations against Iran in April, while only the United States and Israel had previously claimed to be involved in the attacks on Tehran.

According to the American newspaper, which cites anonymous sources, these strikes by the Emirates targeted Iranian oil installations on Lavan Island in the Gulf in early April. After unattributed strikes on these installations, Iran launched attacks against Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

The country was the main target of missiles and drones fired by Iran in response to the Israeli-American offensive against the Islamic Republic triggered on February 28. From the start of the war until May 8, the Gulf country was targeted by over 551 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles, and 2,263 drones, according to the UAE Ministry of Defense.

Dubai’s fragility exposed by Iranian response

These attacks targeted American bases, energy infrastructure, as well as buildings and hotels, resulting in 10 civilian deaths.

“In the early days of the conflict, it seemed to be only a matter of time before we witnessed increased military involvement by various Gulf states in this war,” analyzed H.A. Hellyer, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies in London, in the Wall Street Journal.

Despite a very high interception rate by the air defense, these attacks shattered the aura of stability that Dubai, a hub for business, tourism, and investments in the region, had enjoyed before the conflict. The Emirates, close allies of the United States, had taken a firmer stance against Iran compared to other Gulf countries.