The United Arab Emirates is preparing to help the United States and other allies forcibly open the Strait of Hormuz, The Wall Street Journal reported citing Arab officials.

The UAE is lobbying for a UN Security Council resolution that would authorize such action, the officials said, according to the article. UAE diplomats have urged the US and European and Asian military forces to form a coalition to open the strait by force, a UAE official said, adding that the Iranian regime believes it is fighting for its survival and is prepared to drag the global economy into the abyss by blocking the strait, the report said.

The move would make the UAE the first Gulf state to enter into combat following Iranian attacks against it.

A UAE official noted that the country is actively exploring options for military intervention to secure the strait, including efforts on demining and other support services.

Some Arab officials indicated that the UAE has also stated that the US should occupy islands in the strategic waterway, including Abu Musa island, which has been under Iranian control for half a century but is claimed by the UAE.

In a statement, the UAE Foreign Ministry pointed to a separate UN resolution condemning Iranian attacks on UAE cities, as well as a resolution by another UN body — the International Maritime Organization — condemning the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The UAE Foreign Ministry stated that there is "broad global consensus on the need to preserve freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are now opposing the Iranian regime and want the war to continue until the regime is neutralized or toppled, Arab officials said, though they have so far stopped short of committing their armed forces to the conflict. Bahrain, a close US ally hosting the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, has initiated a UN resolution expected to come to a vote on Thursday.

Iran has responded by intensifying strikes on the UAE. After several weeks of relative calm, Iranian missile and drone attacks on the Emirates have escalated sharply in recent days, including nearly 50 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones on Tuesday. Tehran has warned it will destroy the vital civilian infrastructure of any Gulf state that supports an operation to seize its territory, specifically singling out the UAE.