Another country has joined the war against Iran; Carrying out covert attacks, footage released VIDEO

The respected newspaper cites sources familiar with the situation who claim that the United Arab Emirates carried out military strikes on Iranian territory and thus shifted from being a target, after the United States and Israel, to becoming an active participant in the conflict.

According to those claims, the operation — which Abu Dhabi has not publicly acknowledged — included an attack on a refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf.

The attack, The Wall Street Journal writes, took place in early April, roughly at the time when U.S. President Donald Trump was speaking about a ceasefire after five weeks of an intensive air campaign.

WSJ sources claim that a major fire broke out in the attack and that a significant portion of the refinery’s capacity was left out of operation.

Tehran later announced that the refinery had been hit in a “hostile attack,” after which a series of Iranian missile and drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait followed.

According to the same claims, the UAE have so far been targeted by more than 2,800 Iranian drones and missiles — more than any other country, including Israel.

Officials from the Gulf said that the UAE now views Iran as a rogue actor determined to undermine the country’s economic and social model, which is based on foreign expertise and a reputation for safety and stability.

Since then, the UAE have emerged as the most openly confrontational Gulf state and, throughout the war, maintained strong military cooperation with the United States, according to sources familiar with the matter.

“The Emiratis made it clear from the outset that they did not want this war, but it is also clear that, since the first Iranian attacks on the UAE occurred, Abu Dhabi has been fairly open about the view that the regional picture has changed dramatically,” said H.A. Hellyer, a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London.

“Abu Dhabi has not confirmed what it targeted, or even whether it targeted anything at all, but from the early days of the war it seemed only a matter of time before we saw increased direct military involvement by various Gulf states in the conflict.”

Speculation about the UAE’s involvement in the war has circulated since mid-March, when a fighter jet was filmed over Iran that appeared to belong neither to Israel nor to the United States.

Researchers monitoring publicly available footage and other information pointed to photographs allegedly showing French-made Mirage fighter jets and Chinese Wing Loong drones — both used by the UAE — during operations in Iran.

Militarily, the UAE are far smaller than the United States. However, they possess a highly trained and capable air force equipped with Mirage aircraft and a fleet of advanced F-16 fighter jets, supported by aerial refueling aircraft, command-and-control planes, and reconnaissance drones.

According to retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Dave Deptula, who planned the air campaign during the Gulf War operation Desert Storm, these capabilities give the UAE an unusually sophisticated level of air power for the region.

“They are very strong when it comes to precision strikes, air defense, aerial surveillance, refueling, and logistics,” Deptula said.

If you have such a capable air force, why would you simply sit back and endure Iranian attacks without responding?

Tehran’s strategy of drawing the Gulf into the war has further deepened political divisions among the Arab monarchies and forced them to seek new arrangements that could guarantee their security.

While all Gulf states are facing growing security risks and questions about the reliability of American protection, the Emirates are further strengthening ties with the United States, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, told a group of journalists in April.

In addition to military strikes, the United Arab Emirates supported draft resolutions at the United Nations authorizing the use of force, if necessary, to break Iran’s control over the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

After the United States and Israel destroyed Iran’s air defense capabilities, the risk of conducting combat missions over the country sharply declined, said retired Colonel John Venable, who commanded operations at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar during his service in the U.S. Air Force.

“If you are an ally and want to get involved, this is really a good time to do it because the threat is very low,” Venable said.

At medium and high altitudes, aircraft will be able to do whatever they want, and the Iranians will not be able to do anything about it.