The Trump administration is reportedly encouraging the UAE to become more directly involved in the war against Iran, with some officials suggesting Abu Dhabi seize Iran’s Lavan Island according to a report from the Telegraph.

A former senior Trump security official told the Telegraph that using UAE forces would avoid putting US troops in the line of fire.

“Go take ’em!” the official said. “It would be UAE boots on the ground instead of the US.”

The push comes amid disclosures about the UAE’s increasing engagement in the Iran conflict and its growing ties with Israel.

The UAE has faced heavy Iranian retaliation since Israel and the US began striking Iran in late February, including a reported more than 2,800 missiles and drones.

The attacks have become a turning point for the UAE, pushing it to reassess its defense strategy, alliances, and regional role. The war has strengthened the UAE’s ties with the US and Israel, while deepening tensions with Gulf neighbors, particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

According to the Telegraph, the UAE reportedly asked Saudi Arabia and Qatar to join counterattacks against Iran early in the war, but those efforts were unsuccessful.

Iran claims UAE “active partner” in attacks

Reports cited in the Telegraph also claim the UAE struck Iranian targets, including Lavan Island, in early April, though Abu Dhabi has not confirmed this.

Iran has accused the UAE of being “an active partner” in the aggression against them, while the UAE rejected Iran’s claims and said it reserves the right to respond to threats.

UAE-Israel ties expanding amid Iran war

UAE-Israel ties have reportedly expanded during the conflict. Earlier this month, United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed that Israel sent Iron Dome batteries to the United Arab Emirates to use in defense against Iranian attacks during an interview at a Thursday Tel Aviv University conference.

It was also recently disclosed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the UAE in March at the beginning of Operation Roaring Lion, and that talks produced a “significant breakthrough,” though Abu Dhabi denied the visit took place.

Dr. Burcu Ozcelik, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, a defense and security think tank, was cited in the Telegraph as stating that the war has “accelerated a US-Israel-UAE alignment.” However, Dr. Ozcelik added that this new alignment and deeper military cooperation with Israel could lead other Arab states to view the Emirates as complicit in Israel’s campaign in Gaza.