The United Arab Emirates (UAE), a key U.S. ally, launched sweeping pressure measures in response to Iran's retaliatory attacks against the country, including canceling visas for Iranians residing in the UAE.
On the 1st (local time), the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the UAE recently announced a blanket ban on entry and transit for holders of Iranian passports. Emirates, headquartered in Dubai, likewise notified that Iranians are not permitted to enter or transit the UAE.
Going further, the UAE abruptly canceled the residence visas of Iranians who had lived there for decades, leaving many Iranians—who were visiting family in Iran during the war or studying at U.S. universities—unable to return to the UAE.
The WSJ said, "The move has dealt a major blow to the Iranian community of about 500,000 that has long underpinned mutually beneficial ties between the two countries."
The UAE's pressure on Iran has been steadily intensifying. Right after the war broke out, it moved to consider freezing Iranian assets worth billions of dollars, and more recently it has shut down Iranian-affiliated hospitals, schools, and civic groups in the country one after another.
According to Iran International (IRANINTL), the UAE also arrested dozens of money changers tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and closed related corporations. The outlet said, "For years, Dubai has been a hub for exchanging Iran's oil and petrochemical revenue," adding, "This step is among the most serious blows to Tehran's sanctions-evasion network."
The UAE had maintained a hostile relationship with Iran amid territorial disputes in the past, but sought over many years to improve ties to avoid armed conflict. In 2022, it even reopened its embassy in Tehran. In particular, the UAE is known to have served as a financial workaround channel for Iranian corporations and individuals under Western sanctions.
After U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, relations between the two countries deteriorated rapidly as Iran focused its attacks on the UAE, which hosts U.S. military bases. Iran launched drone and missile strikes toward the UAE under the pretext of targeting U.S. bases. The total number of drones and missiles Iran fired at the UAE reached about 2,500, far exceeding the scale aimed at Israel. The attacks caused extensive damage to major facilities including Dubai's artificial Palm Islands, the Burj Al Arab hotel, and the airport.
Hit by Iran's concentrated attacks, the UAE is also weighing a military response. Citing officials the previous day, the WSJ reported that the UAE is lobbying for the adoption of a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force. The UAE is reviewing participation in or support for a military operation to keep the Strait of Hormuz open with the United States and its allies, which could make the UAE the first Gulf nation to take part in combat.
The level of the UAE's pressure on Iran is expected to rise further. A source familiar with the UAE's policy shift toward Iran said this week that "all means of pressure on Iran are under review," adding that, considering the economic damage from wartime attacks, the government plans to reassess residency policies for certain communities, including Iranians.