The United Arab Emirates secretly carried out military strikes on Iran during the recent regional conflict, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, May 12, citing people familiar with the matter. According to the report, one of the strikes targeted a refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf in early April, causing a major fire and knocking much of the facility’s capacity offline for months.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The UAE has not publicly acknowledged involvement in the attacks. UAE became active participant in conflict The report said the strikes marked a major shift in the UAE’s posture, showing the Gulf monarchy as an active participant in the conflict rather than a neutral regional actor. According to WSJ, the UAE intensified military cooperation with the United States during the war and increasingly viewed Iran as a direct threat to its economic model and regional stability. “It’s significant to have a Gulf Arab country as a warring party that struck Iran directly,” Middle East analyst Dina Esfandiary told the newspaper. Iran reportedly targeted UAE with thousands of drones and missiles The report said Iran launched more than 2,800 missiles and drones at the UAE during the conflict – more than against any other country, including Israel. The attacks disrupted air traffic, tourism and business activity in the Emirates and contributed to a shift in Abu Dhabi’s strategic outlook toward Tehran, according to Gulf officials cited by WSJ. Speculation over UAE involvement Speculation about the UAE’s involvement had circulated since March after unidentified fighter jets and drones were reportedly spotted operating over Iran.