UAE pushes Washington to ‘force open’ Strait of Hormuz: Report
Saudi Arabia is also lobbying the US to continue the war until the Islamic Republic is overthrown
The UAE is preparing to directly enter the US-Israeli war on Iran and participate in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “by any means necessary,” sources told the Wall Street Journal( WSJ) on 31 March.
Abu Dhabi is “preparing to help the US and other allies open the Strait of Hormuz by force,” the sources said, adding that the Gulf state is “lobbying for a UN Security Council resolution that would authorize such action.”
“Emirati diplomats have urged the US and military powers in Europe and Asia to form a coalition to open the strait by force. The Iranian regime thinks it is fighting for its existence and is willing to bring the global economy down with it in a chokehold on the strait,” one of the sources, a UAE official, told WSJ.
The official went on to say that his country was “actively reviewing” how it could play a military role in securing the Strait of Hormuz and clearing any mines which may have been laid by Iranian forces.
Arab officials told the outlet that “the Gulf state has also said the US should occupy islands in the strategic waterway, including Abu Musa,” one of three Persian Gulf islands disputed between Iran and the UAE but controlled by the Islamic Republic.
Sources also told WSJ that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are pushing for a military solution as well, and “want the war to continue until [Iran] is disabled or toppled.”
“The UAE’s newly assertive approach is a fundamental shift in its strategic outlook,” the sources said. “The UAE has bases, a deep-water port at Jebel Ali and a location near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz that could be useful staging grounds for a US-led operation to seize islands or to escort commercial tankers through the waterway,” the report added.
Gulf states have used increasingly tough rhetoric since Iran’s retaliation against US bases in West Asia began.
“Saudi Arabia’s patience with Iranian attacks is not unlimited. Any belief that Gulf countries are incapable of responding is a miscalculation,” Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said earlier this month.
Another recent WSJ report said that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other Gulf governments are considering joining the US-Israeli war on Iran directly, hoping they can establish “deterrence” and “punish” Tehran.
Recent reports have also said that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have opened up their bases to the US military for attacks on Iran.
According to Financial Times (FT), Abu Dhabi has told Washington and other western states that it is ready to take part in an international “Hormuz Security Force” aimed at reopening the strait and protecting shipping.
Speaking to The Cradle on 26 March, a senior Iranian intelligence official said the Islamic Republic is preparing a “strong response” against the UAE for the “active role” it has played in the ongoing US-Israeli war.
“A decision has been made at the leadership level to end the weeks-long tolerance toward this country,” the official said.
US military bases and energy infrastructure in the UAE have already come under heavy Iranian retaliatory strikes.