UAE Secretly Struck Iran's Lavan Island Refinery, WSJ Reports
The refinery strike sparked a major fire and knocked much of its capacity offline for months, according to the Wall Street Journal.
- On May 11, 2026, The Wall Street Journal reported that the United Arab Emirates secretly conducted military strikes against Iran, including an early April attack on the Lavan Island refinery that disabled processing capacity for months.
- Relentless Iranian missile and drone barrages, totaling more than 2,800 attacks throughout the conflict, prompted Abu Dhabi to shift its reactive posture and initiate direct military operations against Iranian assets.
- Although the UAE has not publicly acknowledged the strikes, the U.S. government quietly welcomed the Gulf state's participation, according to people familiar with the matter cited by the Journal.
- Iran described the refinery blast as an "enemy attack" and immediately retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting both the UAE and Kuwait, escalating the regional conflict.
- Analysts warn that direct Gulf participation risks further paralyzing energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, as the conflict's expansion threatens to disrupt global shipping and deepen regional instability.
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The United Arab Emirates carried out secret attacks on Iran last month, The Wall Street Journal reports, based on conversations with various sources. Among other incidents, an attack was carried out on a refinery on the Iranian island of Lavan – resulting in production capacity being shut down for months. Iran responded by launching drone and missile attacks on the UAE and Kuwait.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the United Arab Emirates attacked the Islamic Republic in April in the war of Israel and the United States against Iran. The Emirate counterattacks were directed against a refinery on the Iranian island of Lavan, the US newspaper reported on Monday. Up to now, the United Arab Emirates had not been aware of attacks on Iran during the war. The news agency AFP was not able to independently review th…
Zero Hedge
Nemos News NetworkUAE Secretly Carried Out Attacks On Iran, Making It An Active Combatant
UAE Secretly Carried Out Attacks On Iran, Making It An Active Combatant The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become an active combatant in the Iran war, according to fresh reporting in The Wall Street Journal. Last week saw the US-Iran ceasefire briefly break down, during which time the US struck some Iranian coastal sites and the Iranians sent drones and missiles on several Gulf states once again. Iran also reportedly tried to attack three Americ…
The Wall Street Journal a raportat luni că Emiratele Arabo Unite (EAU) au desfurat propriile operađiuni militare împotriva Iranului în aprilie, în timp ce doar Statele Unite şi Israeliul revendică will participate in the attack împotriva Teheranului, notează AFP, potrivit Agerpres.
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