The story: Abu Dhabi and Washington have reportedly drafted a new defense agreement that would enable US protection if the United Arab Emirates (UAE) comes under foreign attack. However, it is far from clear whether such a partnership would provide the UAE with the American security guarantees it desires. This follows Emirati discontent with the lack of clarity about US commitments in the region.

The coverage: Axios on June 1 reported that talks to finalize a security cooperation pact took place during a recent visit to Abu Dhabi by White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk. The UAE-US agreement will seemingly include additional memoranda of understanding (MOUs) on trade, science, and technology...