Orbis Signal · Politics
May 30, 2026 · Morning edition
The United Arab Emirates secretly carried out dozens of airstrikes against Iran during the early days of the recent US-Israel-Iran conflict, according to a Wall Street Journal report cited in the research record.
The report said the strikes continued until the day after a ceasefire was declared in April. The operations were reportedly coordinated with the United States and Israel, which provided intelligence support.
Targets included strategic islands in the Strait of Hormuz, the port city of Bandar Abbas and major Iranian energy infrastructure. The Strait of Hormuz has remained central to regional tensions because of its importance to global shipping and energy flows.
The reported scale of the UAE’s involvement also strained relations with Saudi Arabia, according to the summary of the report.
The account, if borne out, would point to a wider military role for the UAE in the conflict than had been publicly understood. It also places Gulf state involvement at the center of the recent war’s regional dimensions, alongside the actions of the United States, Israel and Iran.
Jump to a few recent topic editions, or open the full archive.