The United Arab Emirates carried out retaliatory military strikes against Iran, including an attack on Lavan Island refinery that caused a large fire, just as a cease-fire was being solidified.
2:42 PM
The United Arab Emirates quietly carried out military counter-strikes against a key Iranian oil refinery as President Trump declared a cease-fire last month, according to reports published Monday.
After suffering repeated bombardments from Iran, the UAE fired a series of retaliatory attacks against the Islamic Republic, with one of the known strikes hitting the Lavan Island oil refinery in the Persian Gulf, sources told the Wall Street Journal. The attack came just as the United States was solidifying a cease-fire on April 8.
The strike on Lavan Island refinery sparked a large fire at the facility. Officials said the attack is expected to leave the refinery's output crippled for months. At the time, Iran acknowledged that the refinery had been struck by enemy fire but did not name the source.
In response to the strike, Iran launched attacks against the UAE and Kuwait. Authorities said that at least four members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been captured attempting to carry out what officials described as "terrorist attacks" on Bubiyan Island, the largest island in the Kuwaiti coastal chain.
The UAE assault on Iran was undertaken as retaliation for Iranian attacks on Emirati facilities. The operation involved Mirage fighter jets of the type operated by the UAE, according to reports.
The secret attack has raised concerns about regional stability. Officials said that if the current precarious cease-fire between the United States and Iran ends, the Emirates are more likely to be targeted by Tehran. Analysts noted that the risk of some Gulf states becoming embroiled in a direct war with Iran has risen following the reported UAE strike.
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