UAE mulls freezing Iranian assets as Middle East conflict escalates: WSJ

The United Arab Emirates is considering cutting off Iranian access to billions of dollars held in the Gulf state, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

The move could cripple Tehran’s access to foreign currency and global trade networks at a moment when its economy has been deteriorating, and the military conflict with U.S. and Israel has piled on more pressure.

Emirati authorities have warned Iranian officials that such a move was under consideration, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the discussions, although no decision on whether, or when, to act has been reached.

UAE has long sought to balance its strategic alliance with the U.S. and its neighbor Iran, but Tehran’s strikes against the Gulf nation appears to be prompting a rethink in policy.

UAE’s capital city Dubai has been a crucial financial corridor for Iranian businesses and individuals seeking to bypass Western sanctions, selling oil abroad and channeling the proceeds into military programs and regional proxies, according to U.S.-based think tank Atlantic Council.

Shell companies registered across Dubai’s sprawling free zones have for years masked the origin of Iranian oil and commodities. Informal currency exchange houses have also moved funds across borders outside the reach of conventional banking oversight.

America has been pressing the Gulf country to dismantle those networks. The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned UAE-based entities in recent years, with officials reiterating that enforcement within the UAE has fallen short of the country’s stated commitments.

As part of its retaliation against the U.S.-Israel joint attack, Iran has targeted more than 1,000 drones and missiles against targets in the UAE, damaging infrastructure including Dubai International airport and the popular Fairmont hotel, as well as residential and tourist areas.

Earlier this week, The UAE officials affirmed their stance to stick to a defensive posture, not joining military action against Iran. The decision was consistent with its “long-standing policy of good neighborliness, de-escalation and its firm commitment to the Charter of the United Nations,” the ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.

The Iranian strikes have rattled the expatriate business community and international investors that Dubai has spent decades cultivating by projecting stability in a volatile neighborhood.

Emirati authorities are now examining a range of potential countermeasures, including targeted asset freezes of the UAE-based shell companies and a sweeping financial crackdown on local currency exchanges that sit at the center of Iran’s financial plumbing, according to the Journal.