Knowledge Tree
Relations (1)
related 6.04 — strongly supporting 64 facts
Iran and the UAE are linked through significant economic, diplomatic, and military interactions, including being major trading partners [1] and members of the same regional research and political groupings {fact:1, fact:27}. Their relationship is also defined by ongoing geopolitical tensions, characterized by Iranian military strikes on UAE infrastructure {fact:3, fact:24, fact:36} and the UAE's diplomatic efforts to manage regional security and de-escalation {fact:18, fact:40}.
Facts (64)
Sources
Experts react: How the US war with Iran is playing out around the ... atlanticcouncil.org 15 facts
perspectiveThe United Arab Emirates condemned Iran’s missile strikes as a direct violation of sovereignty and international law, and criticized Iran's efforts to regionalize the conflict.
accountFollowing joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks against US military bases in the United Arab Emirates, specifically Al Dhafra Air Base.
accountFollowing joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks against US military bases in the United Arab Emirates, including Al Dhafra Air Base.
perspectiveAnwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, characterized Iran's approach as irrational and stated that Iran was isolating itself by failing to respond to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) diplomacy.
perspectiveAnwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, characterized Iran’s approach as irrational and stated that Iran is isolating itself by ignoring Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) diplomacy.
accountIn the escalation linked to US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Iranian missiles or projectiles hit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, despite none of these states launching attacks against Iran from their territory.
claimThe United Arab Emirates maintains a security partnership with the United States while simultaneously aligning with Israel on regional concerns, specifically regarding Iran’s missile program and its network of regional militias.
claimThe United Arab Emirates maintains a security partnership with the United States and quietly aligns with Israel regarding concerns over Iran's missile program and regional militia network.
perspectiveThe United Arab Emirates government condemned Iran’s missile strikes as a direct violation of sovereignty and international law.
claimThe United Arab Emirates has invested in stabilizing its relationship with Iran, resulting in increased trade, renewed diplomatic ties, and joint efforts to prevent escalation in the Persian Gulf.
accountDuring the escalation linked to US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Iranian missiles or projectiles hit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, despite none of these states launching attacks against Iran.
accountThe United Arab Emirates' air defense systems successfully intercepted several Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, though falling debris caused damage and casualties.
claimIran expanded the circle of combatants by targeting infrastructure in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman.
accountDuring the conflict, Iran targeted infrastructure in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman.
claimThe United Arab Emirates has invested in stabilizing its relationship with Iran, evidenced by growing trade, renewed diplomatic ties, and joint efforts to prevent escalation in the Persian Gulf.
Opportunities for Collective Regional Security in the Middle East carnegieendowment.org 15 facts
claimThe 2023 diplomatic success between Saudi Arabia and Iran led to a decrease in military confrontations in Yemen, a partial withdrawal of Saudi and Emirati forces, and a noticeable decrease in Houthi aggression against Saudi and Emirati territories.
claimEgypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Türkiye, Israel, and Iran recalibrated their foreign policies in response to the instability and shifting landscape caused by the Arab Spring.
claimIran’s diplomatic and economic gains achieved between 2020 and 2023, including restored relations with Saudi Arabia, revitalized trade with the UAE, and emerging dialogues with Egypt and Jordan, have eroded due to the strains of the war.
claimThe Arab Spring uprisings caused radical changes to the foreign policies of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Türkiye, Israel, and Iran, similar to how previous conflicts like the Iran-Iraq War, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, and the American invasion of Iraq reshaped the region.
claimRegional actors are currently involved in direct or proxy conflicts: Israel is in tension with Iran; Türkiye is intervening in Syria and Iraq; the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are militarily involved in Yemen; and Egypt is involved in Libya, Sudan, and the Horn of Africa.
claimThe United Arab Emirates faced difficulty mitigating tensions between Israel and Iran, as escalating hostilities undermined the country's efforts to shield the Gulf region from the fallout of the broader conflict.
claimIran expanded trade and investment ties with the United Arab Emirates and initiated limited political engagement with Egypt as part of a strategic pivot to reduce regional tensions.
claimSaudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates sought to contain Iranian regional expansion in Bahrain, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
claimTürkiye has achieved strategic gains in Syria by capitalizing on Iran’s diminishing influence in the Arab Mashreq and coordinating diplomatically with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt.
accountRegional powers including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, and Iran actively sought to secure their national interests during the instability following the 2011 uprisings.
claimEgypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, Israel, and Iran possess significant political, military, economic, and diplomatic influence that allows them to impact regional stability in the Middle East.
claimIsrael, Iran, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates continue to wield military capabilities in ways that perpetuate cycles of violence and delay meaningful collective action in the Middle East.
claimBefore October 7, 2023, regional actors adopted varied strategies to increase security: Saudi Arabia sought to ease tensions with Iran, the United Arab Emirates focused on deepening cooperation with Israel, Egypt prioritized national security amidst domestic challenges, and Türkiye reduced its engagement in regional conflicts.
claimThe feasibility of a collective regional security endeavor led by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Türkiye, Israel, and Iran is contingent on overcoming significant obstacles, including mutual distrust, conflicting strategic goals, and the divergent policies of their respective governments.
measurementThe proxy war in Yemen, fought between Iran-backed Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions of people between 2015 and 2023.
Iran War: Kinetic, Cyber, Electronic and Psychological Warfare ... resecurity.com 6 facts
claimThe United States advised American citizens to immediately leave Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen due to escalating Iranian strikes and planned US retaliatory strikes.
accountIranian missile and drone attacks have targeted civilian and military infrastructure in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and Qatar.
claimMajor airspace across Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Syria remains challenging, resulting in widespread flight cancellations and diversions.
measurementWithin 24 hours of the first United States-Israeli strikes, over 1,100 commercial ships in UAE, Qatari, Omani, and Iranian waters experienced navigation failures due to GPS spoofing.
accountIran has targeted key oil export infrastructure in Fujairah (UAE), Duqm (Oman), and Salalah (Oman) as part of a retaliatory campaign following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian territory.
measurementTotalEnergies reported a 15% loss in oil and gas output due to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran causing field closures across the Middle East, including in the UAE, Qatar, and Iraq.
War by Proxy: Iran's Growing Footprint in the Middle East - CSIS csis.org 4 facts
claimThe Houthis have used Iranian weapons and parts, including ballistic missiles and drones, to threaten shipping near the Bab el Mandeb Strait and to attack land-based targets in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
claimIran's strategic objectives in Yemen include retaining or increasing its influence along the Red Sea and weakening Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
claimIranian activism and the proliferation of Iranian-backed non-state actors have alarmed regional governments, including Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco, facilitating broader regional balancing against Iran.
perspectiveIran's strategic objectives in Yemen include retaining and increasing its influence along the Red Sea, as well as weakening Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
War in the Middle East and the Role of AI-Powered Cyberattacks manaramagazine.org 2 facts
accountDuring the conflict, Iranian drone strikes targeted commercial data centers used by major cloud providers in the Gulf, disrupting digital services for users in the UAE and Bahrain.
accountIranian drones struck Amazon Web Services data centers in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in early March 2026.
Sustainability through business model innovation and climate ... nature.com 2 facts
claimThe Asian subset of countries analyzed in the research includes India, Iran, China, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
claimThe Asian sample in the study comprises 11 developing countries: India, Iran, China, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
The Axis of Instability: Iran, Proxy Warfare, and the Fragmenting ... meforum.org 2 facts
claimIn early 2026, the United Arab Emirates and the African Union Commission issued a formal joint statement asserting that Iran's occupation of three islands constitutes a violation of sovereignty and the U.N. Charter.
claimThe Gulf Cooperation Council’s December communiqué condemned Iran's actions regarding the islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb, which are associated with the United Arab Emirates, framing the behavior as inconsistent with de-escalation and confidence-building.
Escalation in the Middle East and Beyond unocha.org 2 facts
claimIranian strikes have killed or injured civilians, including migrant workers, in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
claimIranian strikes have caused civilian casualties and infrastructure damage in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
Twenty questions (and expert answers) about the Iran war atlanticcouncil.org 2 facts
Iran Country Report 2026 - BTI Transformation Index bti-project.org 2 facts
After Khamenei: Regional Reckoning and the Future of Iran's Proxy ... stimson.org 2 facts
claimIn 2019, Iran attacked oil installations in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia following the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and the reimposition of economic sanctions.
accountIn 2019, Iran attacked oil installations in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia following the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and the subsequent reimposition of economic sanctions.
Iran and the Gulf: Why Hedging Is No Longer Enough warontherocks.com 1 fact
measurementThe United Arab Emirates was Iran's second-largest trading partner after China in 2024, with trade volume reaching $28.2 billion.
How Will Cyber Warfare Shape the U.S.-Israel Conflict with Iran? csis.org 1 fact
measurementElectronic warfare activity has disrupted GPS and automatic identification systems for more than 1,100 ships across the Gulf region, spanning Iranian, United Arab Emirates, Qatari, and Omani waters.
Private Wealth Migration 2025 | Press Release - Henley & Partners henleyglobal.com 1 fact
measurementIran is expected to see a net outflow of 200 high-net-worth individuals to the UAE in 2025.
Analysis - The Iran War: Strategic Implications for Israel, the Gulf ... elnetwork.eu 1 fact
claimThe Gulf states, comprising Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait, are not formal parties to the war with Iran but are positioned at the center of the conflict due to their geographic proximity and vulnerability.
Iran Responds to Operation Epic Fury with Layered Military, Cyber ... hstoday.us 1 fact
claimIran targeted U.S. forward bases including Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, and Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base in Jordan as part of its kinetic retaliation strategy.
The Arab Approach to Mediation—Reshaping Diplomacy in a ... washingtoninstitute.org 1 fact
claimThe United Arab Emirates has prioritized de-escalation and normalization with Iran, Israel, Turkey, Qatar, and Syria to support its focus on regional stability and economic diversification.
Iran's Global Posture Hides Domestic Insecurities carnegieendowment.org 1 fact
claimAs of 2024, Iran is a member of BRICS, alongside Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Energy asset stranding in resource-rich developing countries and ... frontiersin.org 1 fact
claimGermany maintains energy partnership agreements with Algeria, Angola, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Norway, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, USA, and Uzbekistan.
War in Ukraine | Global Conflict Tracker - Council on Foreign Relations cfr.org 1 fact
claimUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to discuss regional security matters related to the ongoing war with Iran.
Reforming Iran's Energy Policy: Strategies for Sustainability ... jpia.princeton.edu 1 fact
referenceThe energy reforms of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Norway, particularly the management and structure of their Sovereign Wealth Funds, serve as useful case studies for identifying feasible implementation strategies for Iran.