The United Arab Emirates is preparing to support US-led efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday. The Gulf state is lobbying for a UN Security Council resolution authorizing military action and is urging the US and military powers in Europe and Asia to form a coalition to secure the strategic waterway, citing Arab officials familiar with the discussions.
WASHINGTON/DUBAI – The UAE is also reviewing potential military roles, including mine-clearing operations, as it weighs becoming a direct participant in the conflict for the first time, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Gulf state’s potential entry into direct military action would mark a significant escalation in the month-long war between the US-Israel alliance and Iran.
In a statement cited by the Wall Street Journal, the UAE Foreign Ministry said there is “broad global consensus that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be preserved,” pointing to international condemnation of disruptions in the waterway. The strait, through which approximately 20 percent of global oil passes, has been effectively closed since Iran asserted control in early March.
Trump Threatens NATO Withdrawal
Speaking with the UK’s The Telegraph on Tuesday, President Donald Trump threatened to pull the United States out of NATO. “Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration,” he said. “I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.”
According to Al Jazeera, Trump has recently called NATO “cowards” for refusing to send troops to the Strait of Hormuz. He repeated those complaints to The Telegraph, claiming support “should be automatic” and appearing to draw a comparison between the war on Iran and Russia’s war on Ukraine.
“We’ve been there automatically, including Ukraine. Ukraine wasn’t our problem,” he said. “It was a test, and we were there for them, and we would always have been there for them. They weren’t there for us.”
Rubio: US Can See ‘Finish Line’ on Iran War
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that Washington could see the “finish line” in the US-Israeli war on Iran, now in its fifth week. “We can see the finish line. It’s not today, it’s not tomorrow, but it is coming,” Rubio told Fox News’ “Hannity” show.
Rubio said messages were being exchanged between Iran and the US, and there is the potential to have a “direct meeting at some point” between the two sides. He added that Washington will have to reexamine its relations with NATO after the Iran war.
“Ultimately, that’s a decision for the president to make, and he’ll have to make it,” Rubio said. “But I do think, unfortunately, we are going to have to reexamine whether or not this alliance that has served this country well for a while is still serving that purpose.”
Trump: US Could End Military Operations Within Weeks
President Trump said on Tuesday the US could end its military attacks on Iran within two to three weeks, adding that a deal with Tehran was not a prerequisite for winding down operations.
“We’ll be leaving very soon,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “Within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three.”
Asked if successful diplomacy was a prerequisite for the US to end what it calls “Operation Epic Fury,” Trump said it was not. “Iran doesn’t have to make a deal, no. They don’t have to make a deal with me.”
The remarks underscore shifting, often contradictory timelines and statements from Washington about how and when the war might end. The White House said Trump would address the nation “to provide an important update on Iran.”
Iran: Focused on Defending Its Territory
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran has received messages from mediators regarding the ongoing US-Israeli military aggression, but its stance remains “clear and defensive.”
In an interview with South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, Baqaei said Iran had been attacked twice in the past nine months during ongoing diplomatic processes with the United States, describing the February 28 assault as a direct breach of diplomacy, despite Oman’s mediation.
He reiterated that Iran did not initiate the conflict, which he described as an illegal and aggressive war by the United States, and emphasized that Washington must stop the hostilities while Iran continues to defend itself.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Threaten US Companies
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday threatened 18 US companies, including Microsoft, Google, Apple, Intel, IBM, Tesla, and Boeing, saying they would be targeted starting Wednesday. When asked if he was concerned about the threats, Trump said no.
Fresh Attacks Across the Region
Attacks continued on both sides early Wednesday. Drones hit fuel tanks at Kuwait’s international airport, causing a major blaze. Authorities in Bahrain reported a fire at an undisclosed company facility from an Iranian attack. A tanker was hit by an unknown projectile near the Qatari capital Doha, causing damage to the hull at the waterline, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said.
Explosions were heard in multiple areas of Tehran early Wednesday after US-Israeli air attacks, Iranian state media reported, adding that its air defenses were activated. Shahid Haghani Port, Iran’s largest passenger terminal located in Bandar Abbas port on the Gulf, was hit by an overnight air strike, though there were no casualties.
Oil Markets Subdued, Stocks Rally on Hopes of De-escalation
Oil markets were subdued as trading resumed in Asia on Wednesday, but stocks and bonds rallied at the start of the session on hopes of de-escalation. The MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 2.7% after a four-day losing streak, while the Nikkei 225 jumped 3.9% after Trump’s latest remarks. Stocks on Wall Street soared on Tuesday as traders bet on the potential off-ramp, sending the S&P 500 2.9% higher.
Two-thirds of Americans believe the US should work to end its involvement in the Iran war quickly, even if that means not achieving the goals set out by the Trump administration, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
Analysis: A Critical Juncture
The UAE’s reported preparations to support US-led efforts to open the Strait of Hormuz by force represent a significant potential escalation in the month-long conflict. If the Gulf state becomes a direct participant, it would mark a widening of the war beyond the US-Israel-Iran triangle and could draw other Gulf countries into the conflict.
At the same time, Trump’s suggestion that the US could end military operations within weeks, regardless of whether a deal is reached, signals a potential off-ramp. The president’s shifting timelines—from threatening to “obliterate” Iran’s energy infrastructure to suggesting an exit within two weeks—reflect the administration’s desire to wind down a conflict that has become politically costly at home.
For Iran, the threat to target major US companies represents a new front in the conflict, extending beyond military assets to commercial targets. Whether the Revolutionary Guards follow through on this threat could determine whether the war expands into a new domain.
As the conflict enters its fifth week, the combination of military escalation, diplomatic messaging, and shifting US timelines creates a volatile situation. The next few days will determine whether the war moves toward a negotiated ceasefire or deeper into a regional conflagration.
