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UAE Struck Iranian Oil Refinery During Trump Cease-Fire, Report Says
The United Arab Emirates conducted retaliatory strikes on an Iranian oil refinery on Lavan Island shortly after President Trump announced a cease-fire on April 8, according to the Wall Street Journal. The strike caused a large fire and is expected to cripple output for months. U.S.
May 12, 7:01 AM·3m read5 sources
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The United Arab Emirates carried out a military strike on a key Iranian oil refinery just as President Trump declared a cease-fire with Iran last month, the Wall Street Journal reported. The strike targeted the Lavan Island facility in the Persian Gulf and sparked a large fire that is expected to leave output crippled for months.
Iran had said at the time that the refinery was hit by enemy fire but did not name the attacker. The UAE acted after absorbing a disproportionate share of Iranian missile and drone attacks during the conflict, according to the report. More than 2,800 missiles and drones were fired at the country, far more than at any other Gulf neighbor.
The UAE has close ties to both the United States and Israel and has pursued alternative oil trade routes that undermined Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The timing of the UAE strike coincided with the April 8 cease-fire announcement. Iran responded by launching attacks on targets in the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain.
American officials said afterward that the broader truce between the United States and Iran remained in effect even as small-scale clashes continued around the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. intelligence determined that Pakistan allowed Iran to park military aircraft on its airfields even while serving as a mediator between Tehran and Washington, CBS News reported. The aircraft included an Iranian Air Force RC-130 reconnaissance plane that landed at Nur Khan Air Base outside Rawalpindi days after the cease-fire took hold.
The moves appeared aimed at protecting Iranian assets from possible American strikes. A senior Pakistan official rejected the characterization, telling CBS News that a large fleet at the urban base could not have been hidden from public view. Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs later confirmed that Iranian aircraft were in the country but said they arrived during the cease-fire period solely to facilitate diplomatic personnel and security teams for possible peace talks.
