WSJ: UAE Carried Out Secret Strikes On Iran During War

By Staff, Agencies

The United Arab Emirates reportedly conducted covert bombings against Iran during the United States-"Israeli" war, marking a notable and previously undisclosed escalation in Gulf participation in the war.

A Wall Street Journal [WSJ] report said the strike hit an oil refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island in early April, triggering a major fire and temporarily shutting part of its output, while noting that the UAE has not publicly acknowledged the operation.

The reported strike on the Lavan Island refinery took place around the time of a ceasefire announcement by US President Donald Trump after a five-week bombing campaign, sparking a large fire and disrupting operations for months.

Iran, at the time, said its refinery had been hit by an enemy attack and responded with missile and drone strikes targeting the UAE and Kuwait.

Analysts cited in the report suggest the strikes reflect a shift in UAE policy toward more direct military aggression, particularly after Iran reportedly launched thousands of retaliatory missiles and drones toward Emirati territory during the war on US assets.

These attacks, according to Gulf officials cited in the report, have had economic consequences, including disruptions to tourism, aviation, and property markets in the UAE.

In this context, Iran has “unfinished business” with the UAE, a member of Iran’s parliament, Ali Khezrian, warned on Friday, accusing Emirati officials of coordinating with "Israel" to raise regional tensions.

Ali Khezrian, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee, issued a sharp warning to the UAE while also asserting that Iran had responded with military force to US naval harassment.

“The UAE must take advantage of the vacuum period of the ceasefire because the Islamic Republic of Iran still has unfinished business with them,” Khezrian said, according to comments reported in Iranian media.

He accused the UAE of seeking to raise the level of regional tensions in coordination with "Israel", adding, “Their issue has become an existential issue.”

Khezrian further warned that “Iran will not leave the UAE alone,” adding that Emirati and “Israeli” officials were “instigating to drag Trump back into the war.”