On a quiet Tuesday, far from the water it concerns, an Emirati adviser told an American audience that his country might help guard a narrow strait that the world's energy depends on. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and gas usually flows, has been all but closed by Iran during a war that is now in its third week and has already taken thousands of lives. The UAE, which has absorbed more of Iran's attacks than any other nation in the region, is weighing whether shared responsibility for trade should become a shared mission, while its wary partners hesitate and the deeper
UAE Open to Joining US-Led Effort to Secure Strait of Hormuz as Iran Chokes Shipping
The war, in its 18th day, has killed more than 2,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, with others killed in Israel, Iraq, the Gulf states and six in the UAE.
"Everybody has a responsibility," the UAE's adviser said of the Hormuz crisis
Mark
Why does a statement this hedged matter?
Mimi
Because of who is saying it. Gargash is the president's diplomatic adviser, and the UAE is the country Iran has attacked most. Even a maybe signals where Abu Dhabi is leaning.
Mark
He said no formal plan exists. What is actually on the table?
Luke
That's the gap. The reporting gives us no details on the initiative's structure, which ships or forces would take part, or what the UAE would contribute. All we have is that talks are ongoing.
Mark
Other allies have already said no to Trump's call for escorts.
Mimi
Yes, and some complained they weren't consulted before February 28. That makes a Gulf state's openness more notable.
Luke
Though the report doesn't say whether the UAE is joining that specific escort request or a different framework. I wouldn't treat them as the same thing.
Mark
What is the UAE's exposure here?
Mimi
Oil exports and trade. Iran has repeatedly attacked an Emirati port outside the Gulf used to load oil, and six people have died in the UAE.
Luke
Worth noting that Iran's claim that Emirati territory was used to attack it is unverified here, and the UAE denies it.
Mark
And his forecast about Israel's ties with Arab states?
Luke
That's his expectation, not an outcome. It's a prediction from one official.
Mimi
Still, it shows how he reads the war: as something that pulls Gulf states and Washington closer.
Der Puls
- Iran has nearly shut the Strait of Hormuz, leaving the flow of a fifth of the world's oil and LNG hanging by a thread.
- Washington's call for warships to escort tankers has been turned down by several allies, exposing deep fractures in the coalition.
- The UAE, struck more than any other regional state and hit at its export ports, is quietly weighing whether to join a U.S.-led protection effort.
- Talks are ongoing but no formal plan exists, and the UAE's willingness hinges on a postwar settlement that strips Iran of its nuclear, missile and drone capabilities.
On a quiet Tuesday, far from the water it concerns, an Emirati adviser told an American audience that his country might help guard a narrow strait that the world's energy depends on. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and gas usually flows, has been all but closed by Iran during a war that is now in its third week and has already taken thousands of lives. The UAE, which has absorbed more of Iran's attacks than any other nation in the region, is weighing whether shared responsibility for trade should become a shared mission, while its wary partners hesitate and the deeper question of how this conflict will end waits beyond the horizon.
On Tuesday, at an online event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said his country may join a U.S.-led effort to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. He was careful, though. Talks are ongoing, and no formal plan has been agreed.
The question exists because Iran has almost closed the narrow passage between itself and Oman while fighting Israel and the United States. Roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas moves through it, and its near-closure has stirred fears of a global energy shock. Gargash argued that big countries in Asia, the Middle East and Europe share responsibility for keeping that trade flowing: "Everybody has a responsibility."
Not every ally agrees. Several of Washington's partners have already declined Trump's call for warships to escort tankers, and some complain they were never consulted before the war began on February 28.
The UAE has more at stake than most. Iran has repeatedly struck an Emirati port outside the Gulf used for oil exports, and the country has absorbed more Iranian attacks than any other in the region. Gargash said limited attacks had been expected if nuclear talks collapsed, but the response was "full throttle," with missiles and drones aimed at Israel and U.S. bases and strikes on Gulf airports, ports and apartment towers.
The war, now in its 18th day, has killed more than 2,000 people, most in Iran and Lebanon, with six dead in the UAE. Abu Dhabi, long tied to Iran through trade, says it is not in active talks with Tehran. Gargash insisted any settlement must end the menace of Iran's nuclear and missile programs. Whether the UAE's open door becomes a formal commitment is the question now.
On Tuesday, speaking at an online event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, a senior Emirati official said his country may join a U.S.-led effort to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, was careful about how far that went: talks are ongoing, he said, and no formal plan has been agreed.
The reason the question exists is that Iran has all but closed the waterway to ships while it fights a war with Israel and the United States. The strait is a narrow passage at the entrance to the Gulf, between Iran and Oman. Roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas normally moves through it each day, and its near-closure has raised fears of a global energy shock.
Gargash framed the response as a shared burden. "Big countries" in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, he said, bear responsibility for keeping trade and energy flowing. "This is something that is in the interest of everybody," he told the audience. "Everybody has a responsibility."
Not everyone has accepted that logic. Several of Washington's allies have already turned down President Donald Trump's call to send warships to escort tankers through the strait. Some have also criticized the United States and Israel for not consulting them before launching the war on February 28.
The UAE has more at stake than most. It is a major oil exporter and trade hub, and Iran has repeatedly attacked an Emirati port, located outside the Gulf, that is used to load oil exports. According to the report, the UAE has absorbed more Iranian attacks than any other country in the region, Israel included. Tehran has claimed Emirati territory was used to launch an attack on Iran; the UAE rejects that accusation.
Gargash said some limited Iranian attacks in the region had been anticipated if negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran's nuclear program collapsed. What came instead, he said, was "full throttle." The U.S. and Israel struck while efforts to reach a nuclear agreement were still under way. Iran answered with missiles and drones aimed at Israel and at U.S. bases in the region, and also hit airports, ports and apartment towers in the Gulf.
The war is now in its 18th day and has killed more than 2,000 people. Most of the dead are in Iran and Lebanon, but others have died in Israel, Iraq and across the Gulf states, including six in the UAE.
The UAE has long kept deep trade ties with Iran despite strained politics, but those ties have worsened since the fighting began. Gargash said Abu Dhabi is not in "active" talks with Tehran. He offered no criticism of Israel or the United States for the strikes that started the war. He said that once it ends, any settlement must ensure the region is not living "under the menace" of an Iranian nuclear program or its missile and drone programs.
He also expected the repeated attacks on Gulf states to deepen Israel's ties with Arab countries that already recognize it and open channels with others, and to strengthen Washington's role in the region. The UAE and Bahrain established formal relations with Israel in 2020, while Qatar maintains ties short of full diplomatic relations. What to watch next is whether the UAE's open door becomes a formal commitment.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
This is something that is in the interest of everybody. Everybody has a responsibility.— Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president
The solution has to guarantee that the region is not living under the menace of an Iranian nuclear program or an Iranian missile and drone program.— Anwar Gargash (lightly condensed)
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