The Donald Trump administration is actively encouraging the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to execute a strategic UAE Iran island seizure. According to former national security officials, members of Trump`s inner circle have suggested that the Gulf nation seize control of Tehran`s Lavan Island. This aggressive prompting comes amid disclosures regarding the UAE`s expanding military engagement in the eleven-week conflict and its growing alignment with Israel.
A former senior Trump security official openly urged the Emiratis to take the island, stating it would place UAE boots on the ground instead of American forces.
The United Arab Emirates has borne the brunt of Tehran’s retaliation since the United States and Israel initiated joint airstrikes in late February. Facing an intense onslaught of more than 2,800 missiles and drones provided a watershed "September 11 moment" for the kingdom, forcing Abu Dhabi to reassess its sovereign defenses. This unprecedented bombardment has accelerated a dramatic realignment across the Middle East, dividing regional powers into rival geopolitical axes. Consequently, the crisis has severely strained relations between the UAE and its traditional neighbor, Saudi Arabia, deepening a diplomatic divide.
Earlier this May, the UAE made the significant decision to withdraw from OPEC, the Saudi-dominated group of oil producers. Barbara Leaf, a former US ambassador to the UAE, told the New York Times that the prolonged conflict has forced the Emirati leadership to evaluate alliances in stark terms of friend or foe. Reports indicate that at the beginning of the war, the UAE president unsuccessfully requested Saudi Arabia and Qatar to join in conducting counter-attacks against Iran. Following their refusal, reports suggested that the UAE independently launched secret airstrikes against several Iranian targets, including Lavan Island, in early April.
Meanwhile, the UAE`s diplomatic ties with Israel, normalized under the 2020 Abraham Accords, have flourished during the war even as other Gulf nations maintain distance. It has recently emerged that Israel provided advanced Iron Dome air defense batteries to the UAE to combat Iran’s persistent bombardment. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed he made a secret visit to the UAE in March that yielded a significant breakthrough, though Abu Dhabi officials denied the meeting occurred.
Following these disclosures, Tehran formally condemned the UAE this week, labeling the Gulf state an active partner in Western and Israeli aggression. Burcu Ozcelik, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, noted that the conflict has accelerated a US-Israel-UAE geopolitical alignment. Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the UAE president, previously stated that Tehran`s attacks would likely concretize the American military presence in the Gulf rather than reduce it.
However, analysts warn that deeper military cooperation with Israel carries significant risks for the Emirates, potentially damaging its reputation across the Arab world. Emirati officials have expressed profound disappointment over the weak solidarity shown by regional organizations like the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Furthermore, Abu Dhabi remains dissatisfied with Pakistan, which has historically received Emirati financial aid but maintains a conciliatory stance toward Tehran.
