Why the United Arab Emirates is a target for Iran’s aggression

At least 11 countries have come under attack from Iran in retaliation for ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes, but no country, other than Israel, has been hit harder than the Emirates.

The UAE says it has intercepted over 90% of incoming missile and drone threats from Iran. As of March 12, the 13th day of the war, official tallies from the UAE’s Ministry of Defense show air defenses intercepted 268 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,514 drones, with six fatalities and 131 injuries reported.

The amount of firepower being sent to the Emirates is significantly higher than that of its Gulf neighbors and almost as much as Israel, which has faced more than 1,000 missiles and drones in the last two weeks from Iran. Strikes on neighboring Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain all remain in the hundreds.

Despite the interceptions, Iran’s strikes have significantly impacted life across the Emirates. Residents in Dubai and Abu Dhabi frequently hear loud explosions overhead due to daily interceptions, and missile alarms ring out on phones at all hours.

Airports in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, residential buildings, hotels in both Emirates, Dubai’s International Financial Center, Jebel Ali Port and the U.S. consulate in Dubai have all been targeted, despite the Iranian government telling CNBC its attacks on Gulf neighbors are limited to U.S. bases in the region.

For Iran, the UAE is a prime location where strikes can simultaneously pressure Washington, disrupt global energy flows, unsettle international finance and corporates, and generate worldwide attention.

Iran can inflict maximum regional and global pain, testing a state that has positioned itself as the Gulf’s safest bridge between East and West, and the future of the region for finance, logistics, aviation and technology.

The UAE was one of the first places U.S. President Donald Trump visited in his second term last May during a trip to the Gulf states.

The U.S. had already designated the country as a major defense partner in 2024, deepening coordination on not only defense but also artificial intelligence technology and investment. The partnership leaves little doubt about where the UAE stands when it comes to regional security.

On March 7, the Al Dhafra Air Base was targeted by Iranian drone and missile strikes.

The base, located around 32 km (20 miles) south of the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, hosts America’s 380th Air Expeditionary Wing alongside French forces. It serves as a key regional hub for air operations and intelligence gathering, and is home to some 3,500 U.S. troops.

“There is no good answer as (to) why the UAE had been targeted more heavily than any other country in the neighborhood,” Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, an Emirati academic and political scientist, told CNBC on Sunday.

The real story, he added, is “how…