The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has rejected what it called Tehran’s “attempts to justify” its attacks on Gulf states after Iran accused Abu Dhabi of being an “active partner” in the US military campaign.
In a statement issued on 15 May, UAE Minister of State Khalifa bin Shaheen Al Marar “categorically rejected Iran’s claims and attempts to justify Iranian terrorist attacks”.
“The UAE reserves all its sovereign, legal, diplomatic and military rights to confront any threat, claim or hostile act,” Marar said. – The country reserves the full and legitimate right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity to ensure the protection of its citizens, residents and visitors.”
A day earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote in a cable that the UAE was an “active partner” in the “US aggression”.
In a separate statement quoted by Iranian media, Araqchi said he had “informed the UAE representative that [Israel] and the United States cannot guarantee their security” and pointed to the “consequences” of Iranian airstrikes on US military bases inside the country.
The UAE has previously said it has suffered about three thousand missile and drone attacks against Iran since the start of the joint US-Israeli war against Iran on 28 February.