By Ian Werther in News — 18 Mar 2026

UAE Could Join U.S.-Led Effort to Secure Strait of Hormuz

The United Arab Emirates signaled it could join a U.S.-led effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a critical gateway for global energy shipments, during remarks by Anwar Gargash, the UAE president’s foreign affairs adviser. He spoke on the 17th at an online event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, a prominent U.S. policy think tank.

Gargash said the UAE could participate in international security efforts to ensure the safety and security of Hormuz if invited, while stressing that the UAE is not currently engaged in active dialogue with Iran. His comments underscore a potential shift in the UAE’s approach to Gulf security amid rising U.S.-Iran tensions.

Thanks to President Trump, UAE Announces Significant Investments in U.S. Economy:
On Tuesday, President Trump hosted the UAE National Security Advisor, @hhtbzayed, for a meeting in the Oval Office followed by dinner with @VP Vance and several members of the Cabinet. The UAE National Security Advisor, who was visiting Washington at the direction of the UAE President, HH Sheikh @MohamedBinZayed, was joined by an extensive delegation including the heads of major UAE Sovereign Wealth Funds and corporations.

https://ae.usembassy.gov/thanks-to-president-trump-uae-announces-significant-investments-in-u-s-economy/ — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The remarks come as President Donald Trump has urged allied navies to deploy ships to Hormuz to safeguard energy routes. He has pressed partners across the region and beyond to contribute to a broader security posture in the Persian Gulf, where disruption to shipping could ripple through global energy markets.

Trump has publicly criticized allies that have not readily offered military support, saying in effect that “no more help is needed” from those unwilling partners. The stance reflects ongoing disputes over burden-sharing among Western and regional allies in handling regional security challenges.

For U.S. readers, the issue matters because roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Any escalation or blockage could spur volatility in energy prices, affect supply chains, and influence markets worldwide, including in the United States.

The narrow Strait of Hormuz lies between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, separating Iran (north) from the Arabian Peninsula (south). Only about 21 miles (34 km) wide at the narrowest point and roughly 96 miles (155 km) long, about thirty percent of the world’s seaborne oil and nearly one-quarter of the liquified natural gas (LNG) supply passes through this strait — all on shipping lanes that measure only two-mile wide. It has been estimated that 21 million barrels of oil, with a value of 1.2 billion US dollars (USD), pass through the strait every day.
On December 2, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the Strait of Hormuz.

The arid landscape of Iran sits in the north, with Qeshm Island, the largest in the Persian Gulf, just off the Iranian coast. The tiny Strait of Khuran separates the island and the mainland and bounds a wetland of international importance, recognized by Ramsar. These wetlands provide critical habitat to two globally threatened species: the Dalmatian Pelican and the Green sea turtle. In the south, the rocky and rugged Musandam Peninsula juts into the Strait of Hormuz. The tip of the peninsula is filled by the Musandam Governate, an exclave of Oman. To the south, the land on the peninsula belongs to the United Arab Emirates. — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Context about the UAE helps non-Korean readers: Abu Dhabi-based policymakers in recent years have balanced cooperation with the United States and tensions with Iran, while seeking to preserve security and stability in a volatile region. Anwar Gargash is a veteran UAE diplomat who has served in senior foreign affairs roles, and the CFR is a leading Washington think tank that often hosts discussions on Middle East security and U.S. policy.

The report highlights a broader risk environment in the Gulf, where security considerations are closely tied to energy resilience and defense cooperation with the United States. An image caption accompanying the original report depicted a drone attack causing smoke at Dubai’s airport, underscoring the region’s ongoing security concerns and the relevance of any international security arrangements in the Gulf.

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