Saudi Arabia, UAE launched direct strikes on Iran during conflict with Israel and US - report
While Riyadh reportedly conducts secret "tit-for-tat" aerial raids, Abu Dhabi coordinated once with Israel to strike Iran’s largest petrochemical plant in Asaluyeh
New reports are emerging indicating Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates both launched direct military strikes against Iran, signaling a historic shift in Gulf defense strategies.
According to reports from Reuters, Saudi Arabia conducted numerous unpublicized airstrikes on Iranian soil in late March. Western and Iranian officials described these as "tit-for-tat" operations carried out by the Saudi Air Force in retaliation for attacks within the Kingdom.
These strikes represent the first time Saudi Arabia is known to have directly attacked Iran.
This shift toward active combat is mirrored by the UAE, which has also transitioned to a policy of direct reprisal. According to Bloomberg, the UAE conducted multiple military operations on Iranian territory both before and after the April 8 ceasefire established between the US, Israel, and Tehran.
A critical component of this new regional alignment is the deepening security integration between the UAE and Israel. At least one of the Emirati retaliatory missions was reportedly a joint operation coordinated with Israeli forces. Specifically, sources familiar with the matter state that the two nations coordinated a strike on Iran’s Asaluyeh petrochemical facility on May 6. This was a direct response to an earlier Iranian attack on the UAE’s Borouge plant.
This hardware and intelligence partnership has been further solidified by the deployment of Israeli defense technology to the Gulf. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed that Israel has stationed Iron Dome missile defense batteries and personnel on Emirati soil to provide a layer of protection against incoming threats.