Iran told Saudi Arabia and Oman that it planned to “heavily target” the UAE in response to the US-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic, in an apparent move to drive a wedge between Abu Dhabi and its Gulf neighbours, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal published on Thursday.
Tensions between the UAE and its Gulf neighbours, particularly Saudi Arabia, have been simmering for years.
The UAE’s exit from Opec this month was the latest sign that the war on Iran is exacerbating tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi as opposed to uniting them, Middle East Eye reported.
In one exchange, Iranian officials reportedly told their Saudi counterparts that they planned to crush the Emiratis, specifically mentioning Riyadh’s rift with Abu Dhabi.
The report did not say when the exchange took place, but added that the Saudi officials disapproved of the language.
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Despite Saudi Arabia’s anger at Iran, the two countries have maintained dialogue. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke last month with his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan.
Iran’s warnings show it is aware of the fissures in the Gulf and sees a strategic benefit in driving the Arab monarchs – who are all US partners – further apart.
Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the region, and like the UAE, it has ambitions to project power abroad. In fact, Saudi Arabia attacked the UAE’s allies in Yemen just before the war on Iran erupted. The two countries are backing opposing sides in Sudan’s civil war.
Neither country has stopped manoeuvring against the other during the war. MEE revealed that weapons shipments from Pakistan paid for by Saudi Arabia started arriving in eastern Libya to Khalifa Haftar in March, whose army Riyadh is trying to pull away from the UAE.
Saudi Arabia vs UAE
The Gulf monarchies, including the UAE, generally opposed the US-Israeli war on Iran, but they have faced the brunt of the Islamic Republic’s reprisals.
The UAE was hit the hardest with at least 2,000 Iranian ballistic missiles and drones targeting the small, but wealthy country.
Together, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait are home to tens of thousands of US troops and are joined at the hip with the US defence industry, which supplies the bulk of their weaponry and air defences.
While the region rallied behind the US despite frustration that it ignored their pleas not to attack Iran, some have been more muscular in their responses than others.
Saudi Arabia has helped the US wage war on Iran by providing enhanced basing access and overflights, but it has also backed mediation efforts by its close partner, Pakistan.
In contrast, the UAE has lobbied publicly and privately for the US to continue attacking Iran and has tried to prevent Pakistan from bringing the US and Iran together for talks.
UAE-Israel alliance
The war has also cemented the partnership between the UAE and Israel. The latter sent a laser defence system and other advanced weapons to the UAE during Iran’s attacks, The Financial Times reported.
There has been speculation that the UAE joined the US and Israel in attacking Iran. The downing of a Chinese Wing Loong II drone over Iran’s southern region of Shiraz last month sparked questions among open-source intelligence analysts about whether the UAE was conducting air strikes inside Iran.
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The UAE is particularly vulnerable to Iranian strikes because it is also the Gulf state most open to international visitors. In recent years, Dubai has flourished as a hub for tourism, cryptocurrency, and finance.
Several high-profile hotels in Dubai have been offering discounted prices and experiencing low occupancy. The Burj Al Arab, one of the city-state’s most famous hotels, has been shuttered for 18 months for renovations. It was struck by a projectile from Iran in the early days of the war.
Despite the costs, the UAE has emerged as the most vocal Gulf state against Iran.
Experts say the Emirates are wary of the US abandoning the conflict with Tehran, which has become entrenched as a new power on its doorstep, able to call the shots in the Strait of Hormuz.
MEE previously reported that UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Abu Dhabi is prepared for the war to last up to nine months.
