David Hearst, editor in chief of Middle East Eye, has warned that the UAE is increasingly transforming into an advanced operational platform serving Israeli and American strategic interests across the region.
In a lengthy analysis, Hearst argued that Gulf states must move to contain the expanding Israeli Emirati axis before it further destabilises the region and drags the Gulf into wider military confrontation.
Iranian Intelligence Points to Expanding Emirati Role
According to Hearst, Iranian intelligence assessments indicate that the UAE’s role now extends far beyond hosting American military bases.
The reports claim Abu Dhabi is also providing air facilities that could be used in military operations against Iran, alongside supporting what were described as deception operations, including misleading attacks designed to shift blame onto other parties.
Hearst added that the UAE’s advanced infrastructure, particularly in artificial intelligence and data technologies, is being utilised to support intelligence collection and targeting analysis in close coordination with the United States and Israel.
Diplomats cited in the report warned that any future military escalation could result in the UAE being viewed not merely as an indirect ally, but as a direct participant in regional conflict, potentially placing it within the circle of military retaliation.
Mohammed bin Zayed and the Regional Strategy
Observers linked this trajectory to the policies of UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is widely seen as the architect of Abu Dhabi’s aggressive regional posture.
Over recent years, the UAE has adopted interventionist policies across multiple regional files, including Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Sudan.
The article argues that Abu Dhabi’s approach has involved financing and arming factions in internal conflicts, contributing to the prolonging of wars and complicating political settlements across the region, while local populations paid the cost through instability and destruction.
At the same time, the UAE has sought to expand its regional influence through a growing network of military and security alliances inspired by Israeli models of influence, particularly in Washington.
The report further claims Abu Dhabi played a role in reshaping internal political balances within allied countries, including Saudi Arabia.
Rising Tensions With Saudi Arabia
The article also highlighted increasing tensions between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, particularly following Abu Dhabi’s decision to withdraw from OPEC.
The move was widely viewed as a direct challenge to traditional oil market alliances and Gulf power balances.
According to the analysis, the decision reflects a broader Emirati strategy aimed at redefining the country as a regional power exceeding its geographic size, even at the expense of long standing alliances.
Expanding Israeli Emirati Military Cooperation
Reports cited by Hearst pointed to rapidly growing military coordination between the UAE and Israel.
This includes the deployment of advanced defence systems such as laser technologies and missile interception platforms, alongside the presence of Israeli personnel operating these systems on Emirati soil.
The report also noted increasing military flight activity between the two sides, reflecting what it described as an advanced level of operational coordination.
These developments have intensified fears that the UAE could become a launch platform for operations targeting regional states, particularly Iran.
Warnings of Long Term Regional Destabilisation
Hearst argued that the UAE’s growing integration into Israeli regional strategy places Abu Dhabi on a long term collision course that could fuel prolonged conflicts across the Gulf and obstruct reconstruction efforts following years of war.
He warned that reliance on foreign military alliances, combined with limited domestic defence capabilities and an economy heavily dependent on oil revenues and foreign labour, represents a major strategic risk in an increasingly volatile region.
As a result, calls are reportedly growing across the region for the establishment of new security and diplomatic frameworks capable of containing the escalation and limiting the expansion of the Israeli Emirati axis before the region is pushed into broader open conflict.
