UNITED ARAB EMIRATES PERSPECTIVE
THIRD WAVE OF US STRIKES ON IRAN AS GULF STATES ARE HIT
DOMINANT ANGLE
Abu Dhabi condemns Iranian strikes on its Gulf neighbors while managing its own security alert, balancing regional solidarity with calculated caution.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
ANALYSIS
Abu Dhabi, July 13, 2026. As the United Arab Emirates faces the third wave of US strikes against Iran and Iranian retaliation targeting several Gulf neighbors, the UAE is taking a two-pronged approach: showing solidarity with the affected countries while exercising calculated caution regarding its own exposure. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs "strongly condemned" the Iranian missile and drone attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Oman on Sunday, July 12, denouncing a "flagrant violation of sovereignty" of countries considered "brothers" and reaffirming the UAE's "full solidarity" with them.
At the same time, Abu Dhabi had to manage its own alert: at 6:37 a.m., the Ministry of Defense announced that its air defenses were engaging missile and drone threats, an episode that local media describes as the first real national alert since May 4, or 69 days without an incident of this type. The National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) quickly clarified that the detected threats remained outside Emirati territory and that the situation remained stable, while reminding that preventive alerts are issued even when the risk of impact is deemed low.
The regional context remains tense: Iran has again declared the Strait of Hormuz closed "until further notice" after an attack on a Cypriot-flagged ship, the GFS Galaxy, with one crew member still missing and ten Indian nationals rescued. The US has carried out a third round of strikes, targeting around 140 additional Iranian targets, over 300 in total this week, according to Centcom, which assures that commercial traffic continues in the strait despite a maintained "severe" threat level. Qatar reported three injured, including a child, hit by debris after the interception of Iranian missiles and drones.
For the Gulf monarchies, the concern is less about a direct strike than about the escalation: Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that the "era of one-sided agreements" is over, a signal read in Abu Dhabi as a closure of diplomatic channels. As a regional financial and logistical platform, the UAE is also measuring the economic impact: oil prices have surged this week, and international markets are monitoring every Middle Eastern development in the midst of quarterly earnings season.
KEY POINTS
- The Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Oman as a blatant violation of sovereignty.
- Emirati air defenses engaged missile and drone threats at 6:37 Sunday, the first real national alert since May 4 (69 days without incident).
- Centcom carried out a third round of strikes on approximately 140 Iranian targets, bringing the total to over 300 this week, as Iran once again declared the Strait of Hormuz closed.
COGNITIVE BIASES IDENTIFIED
The United Arab Emirates frames its security as a top priority, focusing on protecting Emirati territory over the human impact on the Iranian side.
The Emirati government shows a preference for official government sources, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, over critical or independent voices on regional escalation.
The UAE gives little coverage to the repercussions inside Iran, with attention remaining focused on the Gulf States and maritime traffic in the Strait.
SOURCES (3)
The NationalCenter-right
TO VERIFYSTATE MEDIA
Gulf NewsCenter-right
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