Axios: UAE weighs military action against Iran

The United Arab Emirates is weighing potential military action against Iran following an unprecedented wave of missile and drone attacks that have struck its territory since the outbreak of the war, two sources familiar with the discussions told Axios.

An Emirati strike on Iran would mark a historic escalation. Although the UAE has not taken part in the conflict, it has endured approximately 800 projectiles since hostilities began, making it the most heavily targeted Gulf state — even more so than Israel, sources said.

On the first day of the war, Iran launched attacks against the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. The following day, strikes expanded to include Oman and Saudi Arabia. The escalation has had regional repercussions: Qatar suspended most of its natural gas production, and an Iranian drone struck the US Embassy in Riyadh. In the UAE, debris from intercepted missiles sparked fires at Jebel Ali port, and a drone hit a luxury hotel on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah.

According to the UAE Defence Ministry, Iran fired 186 ballistic missiles at the country. Of those, 172 were intercepted, 13 fell into the sea, and one landed on Emirati territory. In addition, 812 drones were detected — 755 were intercepted while 57 made an impact inside the country. Three foreign nationals were killed, and around 70 people were wounded.

“The UAE reserves its full right to respond to this escalation and to take all necessary measures to protect its territory, citizens and residents,” the ministry said.

A source familiar with policy deliberations said the UAE is considering “active defensive measures” against Iran. “The view in the UAE is that no country in the world would fail to evaluate its defensive posture under such circumstances,” the source said.

Anwar Gargash, foreign policy adviser to the UAE president, wrote on X that Iran’s attacks against Gulf states were “a miscalculation” that had isolated Tehran at a critical moment. He warned that the escalation reinforced the perception that Iran’s missile program is a persistent source of instability in the region.

Israeli officials believe Saudi Arabia could also consider military action in response to the attacks.

Iran’s retaliatory campaign has broadened the conflict into a regional crisis. Since the US-Israel bombing campaign began, Iran has targeted US bases and other sites in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, including the Kurdish region.

US President Donald Trump said on March 2 that Operation Epic Fury is expected to last four to five weeks, suggesting the conflict may continue to expand.

By Tamilla Hasanova