Since the U.S.-Israeli War on Iran erupted in late February 2026, followed by Iranian strikes on American bases across the Gulf, Western intelligence leaks and media reports have repeatedly pointed to an Emirati role in coordinating with “Israel.”

The Sudanese Army’s recapture of Kurmuk reshaped the balance of power in southeastern Sudan, closing an attritional front that the UAE-backed RSF militias had sought to turn into a pressure point against the army.

Months after the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the resulting strikes weakened the UAE’s image as a safe hub for business and investment, Abu Dhabi launched a nationwide campaign urging citizens, residents, and institutions to sign a document expressing support for President bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

The transformations unfolding across Darfur under the expanding influence of the UAE-backed RSF are no longer confined to shifting front lines in the militia’s war against the Sudanese army; they are reaching into the region's political and social fabric.

In a striking irony, Oman, long seen as a key regional mediator and a trusted channel of communication between Washington and Tehran, has found itself under pressure from its own American ally, after Trump threatened to “blow it up” if it aligned with Iran on the sensitive issue of the Strait of Hormuz.