The United Arab Emirates conducted a rare, public display of its military might Thursday along the coast of Abu Dhabi, miles away from where rival Gulf power Iran concluded a series of massive naval exercises just two days earlier.
As part of the so-called “Union Fortress” maneuvers, the UAE’s armed forces staged a dramatic re-enactment of a hostage rescue that included F-16 fighter jets, helicopters and soldiers on the ground. The event was witnessed by large crowds gathered along the city’s corniche and included jets coloring the sky in formation. The UAE’s military has seen an increase in activity after joining neighboring Saudi Arabia’s coalition in 2015 to battle Yemen’s Zaidi Shiite rebel group known as the Houthis and attempt to restore exiled President Abbed Rabbo Hadi, who was ousted from power in 2015. The move caused tension between Abu Dhabi and Tehran, which politically supports the Houthi movement.
Iran and the Gulf Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, support different sides in the wars in Yemen and in Syria, where the Gulf Arab nations support rebel groups and Iran supports Syrian President Bashar Assad. The proxy war of influence between Saudi Arabia and Iran has been a political and military flashpoint in the Middle East and both sides have grown increasingly eager to showcase the capabilities of their militaries and allies.
On the other side of the narrow Gulf, Iran held a showing of its own military forces that included the elite Revolutionary Guard’s ground forces and the testing of advanced naval weaponry. The drills, which began early last month, also came amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, where President Donald Trump has adopted a seemingly stricter stance toward Iran than predecessor Barack Obama.
Unlike Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, UAE maintained relations with Iran after demonstrators burned the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran in January 2016. The two countries, located on opposite sides of the Straight of Hormuz, have not yet resolved an outstanding conflict over three islands that lie in the strategic mouth of the Gulf waterway.
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