UAE

The United Arab Emirates announced that it has suspended all trade with Iran in response to missile launches targeting it and attacks on oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Foreign reports put trade between the two countries at roughly $28 billion in 2024.

The United Arab Emirates Defense Ministry reported intercepting two missiles headed toward a major Gulf target. Initial suspicions pointed to Yemen, but the Houthis denied any involvement.

Censors have cleared for publication that one Arab country was reportedly asked by another to pursue a peace agreement with Israel, then launch a war at a later time. The countries’ identities remain classified.

A senior UAE official warned Iran of imminent retaliation after overnight attacks, as Kuwait reported intercepting Iranian drones and ballistic missiles.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev confirmed that Israel deployed an Iron Dome battery and IDF personnel to the UAE during the war with Iran to help intercept missile attacks.

Anwar Gargash, an adviser to UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, spoke out against Iranian demands tied to the memorandum of understanding with the U.S. He said, “Imposing a fait accompli born of aggression will not create stability.”

Mohammed Dahlan, a former senior Fatah figure and onetime head of Gaza’s Preventive Security force, has been living in Abu Dhabi in recent years. Previous reports said Israel and the United States viewed him as a possible candidate for a central role in governing the Strip.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed has instructed the national oil company ADNOC to speed up a project that would double the UAE’s oil export capacity.

The UAE has launched a campaign against countries it says aided Iran, starting with Pakistan: withdrawing an Emirati deposit, freezing government-linked accounts in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and ordering thousands of Pakistani workers to leave. Reports also describe new hurdles for Egyptians.

After a security review, Israeli airlines are halting the popular Dubai route at least through the end of June. Industry insiders caution the freeze could stretch well into the summer, possibly through September.

US officials are treating the strikes as limited escalation, not a collapse of the ceasefire or return to full war

Early in the fighting, Israel sent an "Iron Dome" battery and an IDF team to the Emirates amid tight security and diplomatic coordination, Axios reports.