UAE Exits OPEC+ After 2,800 Iranian Strikes, Deepens Israel Alliance
Updated
Updated · The Jerusalem Post · May 30
UAE Exits OPEC+ After 2,800 Iranian Strikes, Deepens Israel Alliance
2 articles · Updated · The Jerusalem Post · May 30
Late April saw the UAE quit OPEC and OPEC+ as Abu Dhabi hardened its alignment with Israel after Gulf neighbors refused to coordinate a military response to Iran.
Dozens of UAE airstrikes hit Iran during the war and continued until the day after the early-April US-Iran cease-fire, with US and Israeli intelligence support and retaliation for attacks on UAE energy infrastructure.
Iran fired more than 2,800 missiles and drones at the UAE—more than at any other country, including Israel—helping drive Abu Dhabi's shift from initial Gulf restraint to direct action.
Israeli support expanded alongside that shift: Iron Dome batteries and IDF troops were sent to the UAE, and senior Israeli officials, including Benjamin Netanyahu, visited despite an initial UAE denial.
The break exposed widening Gulf rifts, with Saudi Arabia criticizing the UAE's aggressive approach and warning Washington that its strikes risked broader Iranian retaliation across the region.
Will the UAE's alliance with Israel permanently fracture its old partnership with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states?
Is the UAE's aggressive new 'forward defense' strategy a model for Gulf security or a recipe for a wider regional war?
With the UAE now out of OPEC, is the era of cartel-controlled oil prices and global energy stability officially over?
After OPEC+: How the UAE’s 2026 Departure and Israel Alliance Are Reshaping Gulf Security and Global Oil Markets
Overview
In late April 2026, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) made a historic move by formally withdrawing from the OPEC+ alliance, signaling a major shift in the global oil market. Despite this pivotal event, oil prices remained stable because the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz prevented Gulf OPEC members from exporting oil. As a result, the influence over global oil prices shifted to the United States, reducing OPEC’s immediate market power. With its exit, the UAE is now free from OPEC+ production quotas and is positioned to increase its oil output and manage its own export policies once exports can resume.