The United Arab Emirates unsuccessfully tried to persuade Gulf nations including Saudi Arabia and Qatar to join a coordinated military response against Iran following Tehran’s large-scale attacks on Gulf states earlier this year, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with the matter.UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reportedly held a series of calls with regional leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, shortly after the United States and Israel began bombing Iran on February 28.MBZ, as the UAE President is widely known, believed Gulf countries needed to retaliate collectively to deter Iran after Tehran launched hundreds of drones and missiles targeting Gulf states in response to the US-Israeli strikes.The attacks reportedly targeted ports, airports, residential towers and hotels across the Gulf region. Iran also nearly shut down the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, disrupting oil and gas supplies and forcing Gulf countries to curb production.However, several Gulf leaders reportedly refused to join a coordinated military action, telling the UAE leadership that “this wasn’t their war”, according to a person familiar with Abu Dhabi’s thinking. The disagreement reportedly worsened already strained ties between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. During conversations with Gulf leaders, MBZ reportedly reminded them that the Gulf Cooperation Council was established in 1981 primarily because of security concerns following Iran’s Islamic Revolution.The developments also help explain the UAE’s growing frustration with fellow Gulf states, which reportedly culminated in Abu Dhabi’s decision to leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in late April. The UAE is also said to be reviewing its membership in regional organisations including the GCC.Beyond tensions linked to the Iran conflict, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have increasingly emerged as economic rivals and have differed over regional conflicts in Yemen and Sudan.The UAE, which normalised diplomatic ties with Israel under the 2020 Abraham Accords, reportedly became the Gulf country most heavily targeted by Iran before a fragile ceasefire took effect on April 8.Iran reportedly fired nearly 3,000 drones and missiles at the UAE during the conflict, though most were intercepted by air defence systems. Tehran also reportedly targeted the key oil port of Fujairah and launched additional projectiles even after the truce.Other Gulf nations including Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Oman also came under attack, particularly targeting energy infrastructure. One strike on Qatar’s Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas facility reportedly caused billions of dollars in damage and may take years to repair.Despite the broader regional attacks, the UAE leadership reportedly believed no other Gulf country faced the same scale of attacks as Abu Dhabi.The UAE and Israel also reportedly worked closely during the conflict on intelligence sharing, interception of Iranian attacks and target coordination inside Iran. MBZ held a rare phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month, according to both governments.US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said earlier this week that Israel had sent Iron Dome air defence batteries and personnel to the UAE during the conflict.Saudi Arabia also reportedly carried out strikes against Iran in March before later shifting focus towards diplomacy. Riyadh subsequently encouraged Pakistan to mediate between the United States and Iran.The UAE was reportedly frustrated over not being adequately consulted during the Pakistan-led diplomatic initiative. Abu Dhabi later declined to extend a $3 billion loan to Pakistan in early April, after which Saudi Arabia stepped in to assist Islamabad.Qatar had also reportedly considered retaliatory action after Iran struck Ras Laffan, the world’s largest LNG facility, in mid-March. However, Doha ultimately chose to prioritise de-escalation efforts.Bahrain and Kuwait reportedly stayed out of the conflict alongside Saudi Arabia, while Oman was considered unlikely to join military action because of its relatively closer ties with Iran.The administration of US President Donald Trump was also reportedly aware of the UAE-led efforts to build a coordinated Gulf military response and wanted Saudi Arabia and Qatar to participate.However, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE had initially tried to dissuade Trump from launching military action against Iran, fearing Tehran would retaliate against Gulf countries and US military bases in the region.The report added that Gulf nations had spent recent years trying to improve relations with Iran in hopes of stabilising the region and boosting investment and economic growth.
