UAE launched covert strikes on Iran, damaging oil facility: report

The UAE is said to have joined the U.S. and Israel in covert operations against Iran.

By World Israel News Staff

The United Arab Emirates secretly attacked Iran during the recent conflict, including targeting a key Iranian oil refinery, according to a new report published by The Wall Street Journal.

Iran launched massive attacks on the UAE following the start of Operation Epic Fury, bombarding the Gulf nation with thousands of ballistic missiles and explosive drones. According to the report, Iran carried out even more strikes against the UAE than it did against Israel during the conflict.

After other Gulf countries reportedly declined to participate in the war effort, the UAE joined the U.S. and Israel in carrying out attacks against Iran while keeping its involvement largely hidden from the public.

In early April, after weeks of Iranian bombardment, the UAE allegedly launched retaliatory strikes against several Iranian targets. The most prominent target was reportedly an oil refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf.

The strike is said to have sparked a large fire and significantly damaged the refinery’s production capacity.

According to multiple media reports, Israel provided air defense systems to the UAE during the conflict, including the Iron Dome and the laser-based Iron Beam system, marking a historic first in security cooperation between the two countries.

The UAE declined to directly confirm the Journal report, but referenced previous statements asserting that it reserves the right to defend itself against Iranian aggression.

In March, several Hebrew-language media outlets reported that the UAE had struck a desalination plant inside Iran. Emirati officials strongly denied those reports at the time.

Lana Nusseibeh, the United Arab Emirates’ permanent representative to the United Nations and a senior Foreign Ministry official, sharply criticized Iran during a March interview with Fox News.

“We are an idea that threatens Iran,” she said, referring to the UAE’s decision to normalize relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords in 2020.

“We are open, we are progressive, we are tolerant, we’re a vibrant economy,” she added. “And what have they done for their people with the resources that they have?”