Analysis by US Media: Why Has the UAE Become a Key Target for Iran?

Reference News Network March 18 Report According to a report from the American Consumer News and Business Channel website on March 15, at least 11 countries have been attacked in Iran's retaliatory actions against the United States and Israel; among these countries, the one most severely affected, aside from Israel, is the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE claims to have successfully intercepted over 90% of missiles and drones launched from Iran. As of March 12 (the 13th day after the outbreak of the conflict), official statistics from the UAE Ministry of Defense show that its air defense systems have intercepted a total of 268 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,514 drones; according to the report on the 15th, the conflict has resulted in 6 deaths and 142 injuries within the country.

The intensity of firepower launched by Iran against the UAE is significantly higher than that against other Gulf neighbors, and its scale is almost comparable to the firepower faced by Israel. Although the Iranian government has told this channel that its attacks on Gulf neighbors are limited to U.S. military bases in the region, the facts are clearly otherwise.

For Iran, the UAE is a target of great strategic value: attacking the UAE can not only pressure Washington but also disrupt global energy flows, shake international financial markets and corporate confidence, and quickly attract widespread global attention.

In May last year, U.S. President Donald Trump visited Gulf countries, making the UAE one of the first countries he visited during his second term. As early as 2024, the U.S. has listed the UAE as a major defense partner, deepening bilateral coordination and cooperation not only in defense but also in artificial intelligence technology and investment.

UAE scholar and political scientist Abdul-Khalik Abdullah told this channel on the 15th, “There is currently no convincing explanation for why the UAE has suffered more intense attacks than any other country in the region,” but it is noteworthy that “the UAE has performed exceptionally well in defending against these continuous missile and drone attacks—now entering the third week, various signs indicate that the country seems to have been preparing for such attacks all along.”

When asked why the UAE has become a primary target for Iranian attacks, Mohammed Alabbar, founder of Emaar Properties in the UAE, told this channel: “This is a global business center. It embodies what life should look like, what success should look like, what prosperity should look like, and a positive spirit—this place is just that.”

Despite the UAE government's efforts to maintain a sense of “business as usual,” several large international banks have evacuated employees from their Dubai offices this week due to Iranian attacks. Last week, Iran launched two consecutive attacks, both targeting the Dubai International Financial Center. The media office in Dubai confirmed these attacks but stated that there were no casualties.

As the region strives to promote economic diversification to reduce excessive reliance on oil, the UAE also hopes to establish itself as a core hub in the field of artificial intelligence. However, after Iran attacked an Amazon data center located in the UAE, causing cloud service disruptions, doubts have begun to arise about the region's attractiveness as an investment destination for “tech giants.”

Additionally, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's refinery in Ruwais—one of the largest refineries in the Middle East—has also ceased production as a precautionary measure after suffering a drone attack that caused a fire.

Attacks on energy infrastructure are not new; however, the direct strike on the Ruwais refinery indicates that Iran's attack targets are no longer limited to facilities related to the United States. (Translated by Zhao Feifei)