The UAE has been unsuccessful in its attempts to persuade fellow Gulf states to join a coordinated attack on Iran shortly after the US and Israel launched their campaign against the Islamic Republic, Bloomberg reported today.
According to the agency report, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed had called fellow heads of state in the region over the phone, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, arguing for a joint campaign against Tehran, though his counterparts refused to be party to the initiative.
The refusal may explain the recent breaks between Abu Dhabi and fellow Gulf states, as well as the Emirates’ decision in April to quit OPEC, ending six decades of cooperation.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the agency reported that Riyadh had struck Iran in March, but pivoted shortly thereafter to supporting Pakistani-led mediation efforts.
The UAE was reportedly upset over not being invited to play more of a role in that process.
According to the report, Qatar had mulled retaliatory military action after Tehran hit its Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas plant — the largest in the world — though it eventually decided against it.
The collective refusal of Gulf states had left Washington unhappy as well, as US President Donald Trump’s administration was aware of the UAE’s efforts to set up a joint military response, and wanted Saudi Arabia and Qatar to join.
