Michael Gabriel Hernandez
12 May 2026•Update: 12 May 2026
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been secretly carrying out a series of attacks against Iran amid the ongoing US-Israeli war, according to a report published Monday.
One of the targets has been a refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island, anonymous sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal newspaper. That refinery was struck in early April around the time US President Donald Trump was about to announce a ceasefire with Iran, causing a large fire and knocking the facility offline, according to the Journal.
Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at the UAE and Kuwait. One of the sources said the US quietly welcomed the Emirates' entry into the war.
The Journal said Iran has targeted the UAE more than any other country, including Israel, carrying out over 2,800 missile and drone attacks on the Gulf nation.
The attacks have wrought significant damage to the UAE's economy, prompting layoffs and furloughs, and have "prompted a fundamental shift in the country’s strategic outlook to one that now sees Iran as a rogue actor bent on undermining the country’s economic and social model based on expatriate talent and a reputation for safety and stability," anonymous Gulf officials told the Journal.
The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not comment on the strikes when pressed for comment by the newspaper. It did, however, point to a previously-issued statement that emphasized Abu Dhabi's right to respond to hostile acts.
“It’s significant to have a Gulf Arab country as a warring party that struck Iran directly,” Dina Esfandiary, a Middle East analyst, told the Journal. "Tehran will now aim to further drive a wedge between the U.A.E. and other Gulf Arabs who are trying to mediate an end to the war."
