The United Arab Emirates is preparing to provide military assistance to help the United States reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports citing regional officials. The strategic shift follows a month of sustained hostilities involving a US-Israeli coalition against Iran, which have severely constrained maritime transit in the Persian Gulf.
Emirati territory has absorbed roughly 2,500 Iranian missiles and drones since the conflict began, a volume sources say exceeds the toll faced by other nations in the region. The effective closure of the waterway has cut national oil output by more than half, while equity markets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have contracted by approximately $120 billion. These economic disruptions have accelerated Abu Dhabi’s efforts to restore commercial shipping and stabilize regional trade flows.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Emirati diplomats are pressing Washington to form an international security coalition alongside European and Asian partners. Concurrently, the UAE is seeking a United Nations Security Council mandate authorizing coordinated military action in the corridor. Defense planners are assessing operational support options, including naval de-mining and logistical coordination. Officials also indicated that Abu Dhabi has urged the United States to secure several strategic islands within the strait, including Abu Musa, which Tehran has administered for decades despite longstanding Emirati sovereignty claims.
Long-term American involvement in the region appears limited. President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that Washington could withdraw from the broader engagement within several weeks, emphasizing that securing the shipping lane after a withdrawal would become the responsibility of nations dependent on the route. The corridor facilitates nearly one-fifth of global seaborne crude exports.
Iranian officials maintain that transit restrictions apply only to American and allied vessels, asserting that neutral commercial traffic continues unimpeded. Tehran has cautioned that any military operation targeting its islands or coastal installations would trigger strikes against regional energy infrastructure. International observers are tracking diplomatic negotiations and security alignments as pressure to restore unrestricted navigation through the critical shipping lane continues to build.
