Guess Who's Been Launching Airstrikes Against Iran

Townhall 

Fox News reports that the United Arab Emirates has been secretly conducting military strikes against Iran for some time, with the first reported attack targeting an Iranian oil refinery on Lavan Island in early April. The UAE has not publicly acknowledged its military actions against the Islamic Republic (via WSJ):

The United Arab Emirates has carried out military strikes on Iran, people familiar with the matter said, casting the Gulf monarchy as an active combatant in a war in which it has been Iran’s biggest target.

Its military is well-equipped with Western-made jet fighters and surveillance networks. And the attacks suggest the country is now more willing to use them to protect its economic power and growing influence across the Middle East.

[…]

Iran said at the time that the refinery had been struck in an enemy attack and launched a barrage of missile and drone strikes against the U.A.E. and Kuwait in response.

The U.S. wasn’t upset by the attack, as the cease-fire hadn’t yet settled into place, and it has quietly welcomed the participation of the U.A.E. and any other Gulf states that want to join in the fight, one of the people said.

The U.A.E.’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the strikes but pointed to previous statements in which it asserted its right to respond—including militarily—to hostile acts.

The Pentagon declined to comment. The White House didn’t address questions about the U.A.E.’s involvement during the war but said that President Trump has every option at his disposal, and that the U.S. has maximum leverage over the Iranian regime.

President Trump is also reportedly growing impatient with Tehran, which has been playing games during these ongoing negotiations since the conclusion of Operation Epic Fury. He’s considering new airstrikes. Iran’s latest proposal over the weekend was thoroughly rejected by the White House (via Axios):

President Trump is meeting with his national security team Monday to discuss the way forward in the Iran war, including possibly resuming military action, after negotiations with the country deadlocked on Sunday, three U.S. officials said.

Why it matters: U.S. officials say Trump wants a deal to end the war, but Iran's rejection of many of his demands and refusal to make meaningful concessions on its nuclear program puts the military option back on the table.

Trump publicly threatened several times in recent days to bomb infrastructure facilities in Iran if diplomacy failed.

Driving the news: The U.S. waited 10 days for Iran's response to its draft proposal for ending the war. The White House was optimistic that Iran's positions would show further progress toward a deal.

But the Iranian response that arrived on Sunday was not positive. Iran's state TV reported that Tehran has rejected the U.S. proposal, which it said "meant Iran's surrender to Trump's excessive demands."

Trump rejected Iran's response on Sunday. "I don't like it. It is inappropriate," he told Axios.

Israel played this game with Hamas: how many ceasefire proposals were offered and rejected? We’re dealing with terrorists. We’re dealing with animals, dogs—who only understand the fist and boot.