Gulf States security · May 2026

A new report claims the United Arab Emirates secretly carried out military strikes on Iran's Lavan Island oil refinery in April during the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran. The Wall Street Journal broke the story, citing unnamed sources, marking a significant escalation in the regional conflict. The UAE has not commented, and Iran has not confirmed the strikes. The Pentagon separately disclosed that the US war in Iran has cost $36.9 billion so far. US envoy Mike Huckabee confirmed that Israel sent Iron Dome air defense systems and personnel to the UAE during the conflict with Iran, the first official acknowledgment of the secret deployment. Kuwait's Foreign Ministry said it captured four IRGC-linked operatives who infiltrated its territory. Iran and Oman held talks on shipping safety in the Strait of Hormuz, as ships turn off trackers to slip through and the US expects the closure to last until late May. The UAE added 21 Hezbollah-linked individuals and entities to its terrorist list.