The United Arab Emirates carried out covert military strikes against Iran during the recent war after it became Iran’s primary Gulf target during the conflict, sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.

The attack, which the UAE has not publicly acknowledged, included a strike on Iran’s refinery at Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf in early April, around the same time President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire, the sources said.

The strike caused a major fire, disabling a significant portion of the refinery’s production capacity.

Following the strike, Iran announced that the refinery had been targeted in an enemy attack and responded with a barrage of missiles and drones toward the UAE and Kuwait.

One source said that Washington quietly welcomed the Emirati strike, which took place before the ceasefire officially took effect.

The UAE Foreign Ministry declined to comment directly to the WSJ on the strike, but referred to previous statements asserting the country’s right to respond, including militarily, to hostile actions.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)