Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan arrives for a working lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron (not seen) at the Chateau de Fontainebleau in Fontainebleau near Paris, France, September 15, 2021. Photo: REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

i24 News – A new Wall Street Journal report reveals that the United Arab Emirates played a far larger military role in the recent conflict with Iran than previously known, carrying out dozens of coordinated airstrikes alongside the United States and Israel while exposing growing divisions among Gulf states over how aggressively to confront Tehran.

According to the report, Emirati strikes began in the opening days of the war and continued even after a ceasefire was announced. The operations reportedly targeted strategic Iranian military and energy infrastructure, including sites on Qeshm and Abu Musa islands in the Strait of Hormuz, Bandar Abbas, the Lavan Island refinery, and the Asaluyeh petrochemical complex.

The campaign marks one of the clearest indications yet that Abu Dhabi is prepared to take direct military action to defend what it sees as critical national and economic interests, particularly after Iranian attacks targeted Emirati oil and gas infrastructure during the conflict.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the strikes were coordinated with both Washington and Jerusalem, which provided intelligence support for the operations. Some of the attacks specifically focused on Iranian energy facilities in retaliation for strikes on UAE infrastructure.

One strike in particular, a joint operation targeting the Asaluyeh petrochemical complex, reportedly triggered severe backlash and prompted the United States to pressure Israel to halt attacks on Iranian energy assets over fears of wider economic disruption.

The report also mentions significant disagreements inside the Gulf bloc during the conflict. Saudi Arabia reportedly complained to the United States in early April that the UAE’s military operations risked provoking Iranian retaliation against regional energy infrastructure, potentially destabilizing oil markets and driving up global prices.

According to people familiar with the discussions cited by the Journal, Saudi officials urged Washington to pressure Abu Dhabi to scale back the attacks and instead prioritize diplomatic de-escalation efforts being pursued by several regional states.

The differing approaches also appear to have strained relations between Gulf leaders. Gulf officials told the outlet that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed became frustrated with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after Riyadh declined to participate in coordinated military operations against Iran.