UAE Signals Likely Join US-Led Effort to Keep Strait of Hormuz Open
Abu Dhabi appears poised to participate in a US-led multinational operation to secure the Strait of Hormuz against Iranian threats of closure.
Diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash stated on March 17, 2026, that the UAE views freedom of navigation through the critical chokepoint as a non-negotiable national interest and is prepared to contribute to any credible coalition defending it.
The narrow waterway carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil trade. Any sustained disruption would send energy prices sharply higher and ripple through global markets.
The move aligns the UAE more closely with American security priorities in the Gulf at a time of heightened regional tension.