UAE Emerges as Secret Combatant in Iran Conflict, Report Claims Covert Strike on Strategic Oil Refinery
Dubai/Washington, May 12, 2026 | UAE Secret Combatant in Iran Conflict | The United Arab Emirates has conducted a series of unacknowledged military strikes against Iran, including a direct hit on a major oil refinery on Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal.
The April operation which occurred just as U.S. President Donald Trump announced a fragile ceasefire following a five-week American-Israeli air campaign marks a dramatic escalation in the UAE’s role in the conflict. Until now, Abu Dhabi had publicly positioned itself as a target of Iranian aggression rather than an active participant.
The strike on Lavan Island, Iran’s tenth-largest refinery, sparked a large fire and took a significant portion of its roughly 60,000 barrels-per-day capacity offline for months, sources told the Journal. No casualties were reported. The timing aligned with the final stages of the U.S.-led offensive, when the ceasefire was still being finalised but not yet fully in force.
U.S. officials were aware of the Emirati actions and quietly welcomed them along with any similar moves by other Gulf states as a show of solidarity against Iran, according to the report. Washington has not officially commented.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to confirm or deny the strikes when contacted. Instead, officials referred to earlier public statements asserting Abu Dhabi’s full and legitimate right to respond including militarily to hostile acts.
The revelation comes as Iran continues to reel from the broader war. Tehran had launched more than 2,800 missiles and drones at the UAE far more than any other Gulf nation targeting airports, ports, energy infrastructure, and civilian areas. Those attacks disrupted tourism, air travel, and the property market in Dubai and elsewhere.
Iranian state media and military sources had previously hinted at Emirati involvement, claiming Mirage 2000-9 jets and other UAE assets were linked to the Lavan Island incident. In retaliation for that and other alleged strikes, Tehran fired additional barrages at the UAE and Kuwait shortly afterward.
The development underscores a sharp shift in Gulf strategy. Long wary of direct confrontation with its larger neighbor, the UAE appears to have moved from defensive intercepts to limited offensive action once its economic lifelines came under sustained attack. The country has also deepened coordination with Israel on air defence systems and imposed new restrictions on Iranian-linked businesses in Dubai.
Analysts say the covert campaign could complicate ceasefire efforts. Although Trump has described the truce as holding on massive life support, the entry of another direct combatant risks reigniting tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments that Iran had briefly closed during the fighting.
As of Tuesday morning, neither the UAE, the United States, nor Israel has issued an official statement on the WSJ report. Iranian officials have not yet responded to the latest disclosures.
The story continues to develop.
Primary Sources
The Wall Street Journal: Summer Said and Shelby Holliday, The U.A.E. Has Been Secretly Carrying Out Attacks on Iran, The Wall Street Journal, May 11, 2026.
Reuters: UAE has been secretly carrying out attacks on Iran, WSJ reports, Reuters, May 11, 2026.
The Jerusalem Post: UAE targeted Iran s Lavan Island refinery during secret attacks against Islamic regime report, The Jerusalem Post, May 12, 2026.
New York Post: Ronny Reyes, UAE launched secret retaliatory attacks on Iran s oil refinery: report, New York Post, May 11, 2026.
Note for Publication: All information in the article is attributed to the above sources. The core details originate from the Wall Street Journal investigation citing people familiar with the matter. Other outlets have independently reported the same claims without contradiction as of May 12, 2026. No official confirmation or denial has been issued by the UAE government beyond its standard self-defence statements.
