After Saudi, UAE Willing To Put Boots On Ground To Force Open Hormuz: Report

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is reportedly preparing to join forces with the United States and other allies to open the strategic Strait of Hormuz, amid fear of escalation in the war in the Middle East. If the UAE, which is on the frontline of Iranian attacks, joins the military conflict, it will become the first Persian Gulf country to become a combatant against Iran. 

According to a Wall Street Journal report, the Arab nation is lobbying for a United Nations Security Council resolution that could authorise such action. The country's diplomats have urged the United States and military powers in Europe and Asia to form a coalition to open the Strait by force, the report quoted Emirati officials as saying. 

Bahrain, a close US ally that hosts the American Navy's Fifth Fleet, is sponsoring the US resolution, with a vote expected Thursday.

Gulf states rely on the Hormuz Strait for both exports and imports, including food. The majority of Gulf oil -- about 20 per cent of the global supply -- also flows through it. But in retaliation against the US-Israeli aggression, Iran has implemented a chokehold over the crucial waterway, disrupting the world's supply of oil and natural gas, roiling global markets.

What The UAE Said

Emitari officials told WSJ that the UAE was actively reviewing how it could play a "military role" in securing the strait, including efforts to help clear it of Iranian mines and other support services. The Gulf nation is also reportedly lobbying for the United States to occupy islands in the strait in the strategic waterway, including Abu Musa, which is currently administered by Iran but claimed by the UAE.

The UAE's Foreign Ministry also said there is "broad global consensus that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be preserved." 

The UAE's newly assertive approach is a fundamental shift in its strategic outlook, as the country's commercial centre, Dubai, has long financed the Iranian regime. The officials said that other Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, are also now turning against Iran and want the war to continue until the Islamic regime is disabled or toppled, though they have stopped short of committing their military. 

UAE Bars Iranians From Entry

The UAE has also barred Iranians from entering or transiting the country as the war rages, three major airlines said Wednesday. The long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad, as well as the lower-cost airline FlyDubai, made the announcements on their websites.

Entry rules can sometimes be opaque in the autocratic UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms. But the airlines' websites all displayed the order. It said holders of golden visas, 10-year residency permits in the country, could still enter.

Authorities offered no official comment. But the change comes as Dubai already has shut down the Iranian Hospital and the Iranian Club in the city, two institutions in the city-state dating back to the time of the Shah.

Israel's Plans

The report of the UAE joining the war followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that his country was building "new alliances with important countries in the region" to counter Tehran. According to Israeli media reports, Netanyahu told ministers at a cabinet meeting that some "Arab countries" are "talking about fighting together on our side".

"In the past, I had secret conversations with Arab leaders," Netanyahu reportedly said. "I told them, 'As soon as Iran can, it will conquer you and overthrow your kingdoms.' Back then, they didn't really internalise things. Today they understand."

Saudi Hints About Joining The War

Saudi Arabia, which sees itself as the economic and political leader of the Arab world, has also threatened that it will enter the war if Tehran does not stop military agression against the country. In the strongest remarks from the country so far, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan warned Iran on March 19 that his country and its regional partners possess "very significant capacities and capabilities that they could bring to bear."

Saudi Arabia has so far held back from military retaliation against Iran, fearing it would expose the kingdom to even greater aggression. But its patience appears to be wearing thin. Prince Farhan said the "little trust" rebuilt with Iran after diplomatic ties between the two nations were restored in 2023 has been "completely shattered," adding that continued aggression would leave "almost nothing" to salvage in the relationship. 

Iran has lobbed missiles and drones at the kingdom and battered its oil-based economy through its throttling of the Strait of Hormuz.