The United Arab Emirates conducted dozens of covert airstrikes inside Iran during the early days of the US-Israeli war, in a far more expansive role than previously disclosed, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to the report, the Emirati strikes—supported by US and Israeli intelligence—targeted strategic sites including 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 scale of the UAE’s campaign significantly exceeded earlier reports and underscored its direct military involvement in the conflict, with the paper reporting that Abu Dhabi’s strikes continued through the day after the ceasefire was announced on April 8.
Exclusive: The United Arab Emirates carried out dozens of airstrikes against Iran beginning in the early days of the war, a deeper involvement than was previously known https://t.co/v5bwrMLKEd
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) May 29, 2026
It said the strikes were launched “in retaliation for sustained Iranian attacks on Emirati infrastructure, as Tehran fired roughly 550 missiles and more than 2,200 drones at the UAE between late February and early April, making it the most heavily targeted country in the region.”
The WSJ reported that Israeli strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure—particularly in Asaluyeh—triggered US concerns over escalating attacks on oil facilities, prompting Washington to press ‘Israel’ to halt such operations amid fears of global economic fallout.
The Emirati campaign also reportedly exposed deepening rifts within the Gulf. Saudi Arabia reportedly urged the US to restrain the UAE and push for diplomacy, warning that continued strikes risked broader instability and threats to regional energy security.
Despite tensions within the Gulf, the conflict accelerated security coordination between the UAE and ‘Israel’, which, according to the report deployed an Iron Dome battery to the UAE, operated by Israeli personnel, with dozens of troops reportedly still stationed there.
Senior Israeli officials are also said to have visited the country during the war, reflecting an intensifying strategic alignment. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced earlier in mid-May that the premier made a secret visit to the UAE to meet President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in Al-Ain on March 26, 2026. However, the UAE Foreign Ministry officially denied that this visit occurred.
Iran has condemned UAE’s complicity with the US and the Zionist enemy, with Foreign Minister Abbas Aaghchi saying that Abu Dhabi’s collusion with ‘Israel’ against Iran is “unforgivable”.
Source: Wall Street Journal edited by Al-Manar English Website