PANews reported on April 28 that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Tuesday its withdrawal from OPEC and OPEC+ effective May 1. This comes against a backdrop of a historic energy shock triggered by the Iran-Iraq war and its de facto leader, Saudi Arabia. The UAE's unexpected withdrawal, from a long-time OPEC member, could plunge the organization into chaos and weaken its influence—OPEC typically strives for a unified stance despite internal disagreements on a range of issues from geopolitics to production quotas. This could be a major victory for US President Trump, who has accused the organization of "blackmailing the rest of the world" by driving up oil prices. Trump has also linked US military support in the Gulf region to oil prices, claiming that while the US is protecting OPEC members, they are "taking advantage of that by setting high oil prices." The UAE is a regional business hub and one of Washington's most important allies. This move comes after the UAE criticized other Arab states for failing to take sufficient measures to protect it from repeated Iranian attacks during the war.