As the UAE grows closer to Israel amid weakened ties with Saudi Arabia, it has been reported that the Emirates has launched several airstrikes in Iran during the course of US-Iran war, playing a far larger military role than previously reported.
Some of these attacks were carried out when the US-Israeli campaign began in February while many others occurred after the ceasefire was announced in April, according to Wall Street Journal.
Where did UAE strike in Iran?
With the intel support provided by Israel and the US, the UAE targeted Qeshm and Abu Musa islands in the Strait of Hormuz, the port city of Bandar Abbas, Lavan Island’s oil refinery, and the Asaluyeh petrochemical complex, the WSJ reported, citing sources.
Abu Dhabi targeted Iran's energy infrastructure in response to Tehran's strike on UAE energy facilities, according to the newspaper. Israel had also struck Asaluyeh, following which the US urged Tel Aviv to stop targeting Iranian energy facilities amid international criticism.
The UAE's cooperation with Israel during the war pushed both countries to broaden their security relations. Israel even set an Iron Dome battery and personnel to help the UAE defend against the attacks by Iran. A source quoted by the WSJ revealed that dozens of Israeli troops remain stationed in the UAE to help operate air-defence systems.
The UAE-Israel bonhomie began under the Abraham Accords in 2020, when Abu Dhabi established formal diplomatic, economic and security relations with Tel Aviv an agreement driven in part by their shared concerns about Iran.
However, the Iran attacks deteriorated UAE's ties with fellow GCC countries, especially Saudi Arabia, which was reportedly persuaded Washington to stop Abu Dhabi from attacking Iran further and instead focus on diplomatic efforts.
Riyadh and other Gulf states feared that the Emirati campaign could trigger more attacks on their oil facilities, according to WSJ sources.
The UAE was the most targeted Gulf nation during the conflict, with Iran launching around 551 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles and over 2,265 drones at the Emirates, according to figures disclosed by Abu Dhabi in mid-May. This is more than the number of attacks on Israel, which is Iran's arch-enemy. Even a nuclear facility in the UAE was also targeted during the truce, according to UAE officials.
Earlier in May, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that he "secretly visited" the UAE to meet its president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed during the war with Iran. However, Abu Dhabi has denied this claim as "entirely unfounded".
In response, Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the Israeli PM had "publicly revealed" what Iran's security services told its leaders long ago. He slammed the UAE's collusion with Israel as "unforgivable", saying those who do so will be held accountable.
This comes as the UAE and Saudi diplomatic ties are at an all-time low. The UAE on May 1 quit the Riyadh-dominated oil-producing group OPEC amid restrictions on oil production.
In December, Riyadh carried out an airstrike on Yemen's Mukalla port, contending that vessels carrying weapons and military vehicles from the UAE were heading to the Southern Transitional Council (STC). The STC posed threat to Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) in Yemen. But Riyadh did not want a UAE-backed proto-state to take shape across its border.
