Why the Emirates are barely being fired on anymore

Symbolic image: Abu Dhabi skyline with the UAE flag · Photo: CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

⏱ 3 min · Politics & World · 2 August 2026

Anyone standing in Dubai or Abu Dhabi today experiences normality – and may wonder why, of all places, the Emirates are currently being largely spared in the Iran war. The surprising answer begins with a correction: early in the war, the UAE was hit harder than any other Gulf state. That it is calmer now has several concrete reasons.

Hit hardest first

When the war began in late February 2026 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Tehran's retaliation reached every Gulf state within days. According to the conflict monitor ACLED, the UAE was the most heavily targeted Gulf state: Abu Dhabi and Sharjah were struck, along with ports and civilian sites; officials reported deaths and dozens of injuries. The Emirates responded forcefully – breaking off diplomatic ties with Iran, expelling nationals and freezing accounts.

Why it grew quieter

First, Iranian attacks on the Gulf eased overall over the weeks, while air defences intercepted a growing share – the interception rate rose, according to ACLED, from around 46 to over 70 percent. Second, the war shifted: the latest phase centres above all on US strikes on Iran, Iran-aligned militias in Iraq, Egypt and the Strait of Hormuz – not the Gulf's civilian economic hubs. Third, Tehran has little interest in permanently turning its wealthy neighbours against it while mediation and de-escalation talks are under way; most recently, US President Trump announced he was suspending planned strikes.

Diplomacy plays its part too: Gulf states stressed that their territory must not be used for the war. Those with close channels to Tehran – Oman above all – were the least targeted. That, too, helps calm the situation over the Emirates.

In context: this is a lull, carried by military technology and diplomacy – not peace. The situation remains fragile and could shift again quickly.

Sources incl.: ACLED, Atlantic Council, US Congressional Research Service, AFP. Symbolic image, CC BY-SA 4.0.