The United Arab Emirates has reportedly conducted direct military strikes against Iran, targeting an Iranian refinery in April, though it has kept quiet about its active role in hostilities.
The UAE struck a refinery on Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf, sparking a major fire and crippling the facility’s operation, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
Iran admitted at the time that the refinery had been hit and launched missile and drone strikes against the UAE and Kuwait in retaliation, the Journal said.
Although the attack took place around the time of the ceasefire, the United States didn’t mind as it welcomed active participation by the UAE, one source told the Journal.
Speculation about the UAE’s direct involvement in the conflict has intensified since mid-March, when footage emerged of an unidentified fighter jet that didn’t belong to the United States or Israel operating over Iran.
The Emiratis have a capable air force, including French Mirage fighters, advanced F-16 jets and Chinese Wing Loong drones, U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Dave Deptula, who planned the air campaign for Desert Storm, told the Journal.
“They are very strong in terms of precision strike, air defense, airborne surveillance, refueling and logistics,” said Deptula. “If you have that capable of an air force, why would you sit back and absorb attacks from Iran without responding?”
Israel recently added to the UAE’s capabilities, sending an Iron Dome system with attendant troops to help protect the country, marking the first time Israel had sent an air defense battery to another country.
Its strong military has made the UAE the most combative of the Gulf States. It lobbied forcefully for a U.N. Security Council Resolution to open the Strait of Hormuz. On May 5, the State Department announced it was proposing such a resolution.
Saudi Arabia also launched covert retaliatory attacks against Iran, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing two Western officials briefed on the matter and two Iranian officials.
The attacks by the Royal Saudi Air Force are reportedly the first time that Riyadh has targeted the Islamic regime militarily on its soil and are estimated by the Western officials to have taken place in late March (the recent U.S.-Israeli joint operation was active from Feb. 28 to April 8). One official said that they were “tit-for-tat strikes in retaliation for when Saudi (Arabia) was hit.”
Saudi Arabia warned Iran in advance of retaliatory strikes and followed with intensive diplomacy and threats of further action, prompting both sides to reach an informal understanding to deescalate, according to the Iranian and Western officials.
