UAE secretly bombed Iran dozens of times alongside Israel, US: Report

[Sid Shniad]

https://thecradle.co/articles-id/37972

The Cradle                                                                                                                                                               MAY 30, 2026

UAE secretly bombed Iran dozens of times alongside Israel, US: Report

Emirati operations against Iran were reported even after a brittle ceasefire was announced in April


(Photo credit: AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on 29 May that the UAE carried out “dozens” of covert airstrikes against Iran, collaborating with Israel and the US from the beginning of the war in late February and continuing even after the April ceasefire was declared.

Emirati attacks targeted Iranian energy infrastructure, including the Asaluyeh petrochemical complex and the Lavan island oil refinery. 

The strikes also targeted the Qeshm and Abu Musa islands in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the city of Bandar Abbas, both significant targets because of their proximity to the vital waterway.

The WSJ nevertheless describes the UAE strikes as “largely symbolic” compared to the over 20,000 strikes carried out by the US and Israel.

By late May, the UAE had reportedly shifted to a “more accommodating posture” to seek diplomatic solutions after facing increased security threats, including a drone strike from Iraq near a nuclear plant and an Iranian attack on a Fujairah oil port. 

Beyond military action, the UAE backed UN resolutions authorizing the use of force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restricted Iranian economic activity in Dubai by closing linked schools and clubs, and denying visas to Iranian citizens.

While the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it “holds Iran fully responsible for these terrorist attacks and their repercussions,” the military campaign drew global condemnation, leading the US to ask Israel to cease strikes on energy facilities. 

Israel also deployed Iron Dome batteries and troops to the UAE, while high-ranking Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli army commander, and the head of the Mossad, secretly visited the UAE during the war to coordinate attacks and defense strategies.

During the height of the war, the UAE was targeted with over 2,800 missile and drone strikes as part of Tehran’s retaliatory campaign.