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Pakistan, UAE reportedly take more direct Iran war role

May 12, 2026, 7:01am EDT
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A photo showing Shahed drones in Iran.
Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters

The Iran war, frozen in a shaky ceasefire, appeared to expand and envelop more belligerents.

US intelligence said that Pakistan allowed Iran to use its bases for military aircraft despite its role as a mediator in negotiations, CBS reported, while the UAE — which has been more anti-Iran than any other Gulf state since the conflict began — secretly struck Iranian targets last month in retaliation for attacks on civilian infrastructure, according to The Wall Street Journal.

And talks between Washington and Tehran appear to be going nowhere, with US President Donald Trump rejecting a recent Iranian peace proposal, leaving the war in ā€œa gray zone that is neither war nor peace.ā€

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