UAE carried out military strikes on Iran: Wall Street Journal

Published 12 May, 2026 01:06pm 2 min read
An image from a social-media video shows a fire at an oil refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island. -- Reuters
An image from a social-media video shows a fire at an oil refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island. -- Reuters

The United Arab Emirates carried out military strikes on Iran, including an attack on a refinery on Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf, the Wall Street Journal said, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The strikes reportedly took place in early April, around the time US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire.

The UAE has not publicly confirmed the strikes, and Reuters was unable to independently verify the report.

If accurate, the action would make the UAE the only other country, alongside the United States and Israel, to participate directly in the conflict with Iran.

Iran acknowledged at the time that the refinery had been attacked by an unspecified enemy and responded by firing missiles and drones at the UAE and Kuwait, the report said.

The Lavan Island strike was the only incident specifically linked to UAE involvement mentioned in the Journal’s report.

One source told the Journal that Washington welcomed Abu Dhabi’s participation, after other Gulf states declined to actively join the conflict.

The UAE Foreign Ministry declined to comment, citing prior statements asserting its right to respond to Iranian attacks, while the Pentagon also declined to comment.

Earlier reports from Israeli media in March suggested the UAE had targeted a desalination plant in Iran in retaliation for Tehran’s strikes across the Gulf.

During the US-Israel-Iran conflict, Tehran launched sustained attacks on the UAE, reportedly firing more than 550 ballistic and cruise missiles and over 2,200 drones, making the UAE one of the most-targeted countries in the region.

Recent weeks have seen indications of renewed Iranian attacks in the Emirates, despite a fragile ceasefire.

Iran also targeted other Gulf states and blocked the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting vital oil and gas shipments.

While most projectiles fired at the UAE were intercepted, some struck both military and civilian targets.

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