Trump Advisers Reportedly Lobbying UAE to Launch Ground Assault on Iranian Island

Several advisers close to US President Donald Trump are reported to be pushing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to increase its involvement in the war with Iran. As reported by The Telegraph via The Cradle, Washington has requested the UAE to occupy a strategic Iranian island in the Persian Gulf.

The island in question is Lavan Island, which hosts one of Iran’s four largest oil terminals and serves as a primary base for oil and gas exports. “Let’s take them over!” a former Trump security official told the Telegraph.

Lavan Island has reportedly already been targeted by the UAE. According to The Wall Street Journal, one of the targets of such an attack was an oil refinery on Lavan Island, according to an anonymous source familiar with the matter.

The Iranian refinery was hit in early April, just as US President Donald Trump was preparing to announce a ceasefire with Iran. The attack caused significant fires and forced the facility to cease operations, the report added.

Iran subsequently retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones towards the UAE and Kuwait. One source stated that the US has secretly welcomed Emirati involvement in the conflict.

In early April, Iranian state media reported that the UAE has been participating in the war against Iran. The Iranian state television station, IRIB, stated via a post on X that two documents prove the UAE’s involvement in the conflict.

The evidence of involvement includes the destruction of Chinese-made Wing Loong-2 drones on Wednesday (1 April 2026), which are claimed to be owned only by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as the presence of UAE Mirage 2000 fighter jets performing interceptions over Jask Island, Iran, on Sunday (22 March 2026).

However, these claims have not been independently confirmed by Anadolu. Furthermore, there has been no direct response from the UAE regarding these reports.