UAE failed to rally Gulf states for Iran strike, Bloomberg says

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UAE failed to rally Gulf states for Iran strike, Bloomberg says

May 16, 2026

DUBAI,— The United Arab Emirates pushed Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf nations to join a coordinated military response against Iran after Tehran launched mass strikes across the region, but its neighbors declined, Bloomberg reported Friday.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyanu, also known as MBZ, called regional leaders shortly after the United States and Israel began strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, 2026, Bloomberg said, citing people familiar with the discussions.

MBZ told Gulf counterparts that a collective retaliatory response was needed to deter Iran, which had launched thousands of drones and missiles at countries across the Gulf, Bloomberg reported.

Iranian strikes hit ports, airports, hotels, residential towers and energy facilities. Tehran also shut down the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting oil and gas exports from the region.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other Gulf leaders told MBZ the conflict “wasn’t their war,” Bloomberg reported.

The refusal frustrated Abu Dhabi and deepened already strained relations between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the report said.

During those calls, MBZ reminded Gulf counterparts that the Gulf Cooperation Council was established in 1981 partly because of concerns over Iran following its Islamic Revolution, Bloomberg said.

Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia all avoided joining any coordinated military action against Iran.

Qatar considered retaliating after an Iranian strike damaged the Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas plant in March, but later shifted focus toward de-escalation, Bloomberg reported.

The UAE carried out limited strikes against Iran without broader Gulf backing and expanded security cooperation with Israel, Bloomberg said.

The two countries worked together on intelligence sharing, early warning systems and missile interception during the conflict, the report added.

The UAE has been the most heavily targeted Gulf state in Iranian strikes, with Tehran directing nearly 3,000 drones and missiles at the country before a ceasefire was reached in April.

In late April, the UAE announced it would withdraw from the OPEC and OPEC+ oil alliances.

The Trump administration supported building a coordinated Gulf response against Iran, Bloomberg reported. Saudi Arabia and Qatar, however, pushed instead for diplomacy and mediation.

The Bloomberg report came one day after Iran accused the UAE of backing the ongoing U.S.-Israeli campaign against Tehran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking at a BRICS summit in India on Thursday, called the UAE “an active partner in this aggression,” AFP reported.

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the UAE secretly conducted military strikes on Iran during the conflict, including a strike on a major Iranian oil refinery, marking a significant escalation in the UAE’s involvement.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire between the United States and Iran remains “fragile” and is “barely holding.” He sharply criticized Tehran’s latest peace proposal, calling it “totally unacceptable.”

(With files from Bloomberg, kyivpost.com, Agencies)