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A Boeing 737 belonging to Royal Jet, a private charter owned by the UAE government, arrived in Tehran on Monday from Abu Dhabi. The aircraft made the same journey on Saturday, according to open-source intelligence analysts.
The flights come amid heightened risks of a return to full-scale war between the US and Iran. The US State Department issued a warning on Sunday to US citizens across the Middle East.
“Americans traveling to or from the Middle East should monitor information about airport and airline operations and develop contingency plans… Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other US interests overseas,” the warning said.
The UAE was one of the most hawkish Gulf states towards Iran after the US and Israel attacked its neighbour in February 2026. The UAE joined the US and Israel in launching hundreds of strikes on Iran. Abu Dhabi also tried to prevent mediation from Pakistan.
But the UAE was also one of the countries hardest hit by Iran’s reprisals to the US-Israeli attack. The Gulf state, which has prided itself on being a regional safe haven, faced thousands of missile and drone strikes.
Its port of Fujairah, which sits just outside the Strait of Hormuz, was repeatedly attacked by sophisticated Iranian strikes targeting infrastructure that allows for the export of oil.
Reuters reported in June that the UAE eventually paid Iran billions of dollars in protection to stop strikes. The Gulf state delivered $3bn to Iran as part of the agreement and eventually agreed to pay $20bn in total. The UAE denied paying Iran.
Speculation was rife on Monday that the UAE could be negotiating with Iran ahead of an escalation in the war on Iran. Source: MEE.
