“Iran made a serious mistake”: the firm message of the Emirates

Anwar Gargash, a senior adviser to the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, said that Iran made a serious mistake when it attacked the United Arab Emirates and other countries in the Persian Gulf, a step that he says actually brings these countries closer to Israel and the United States and illustrates why the region cannot accept Tehran’s nuclear and missile programs.

In an interview he gave to Bloomberg, Gargash emphasized that the Iranian attacks strengthened ties with Israel. According to him, countries that already maintain relations with Israel are expected to deepen them, while countries that do not yet maintain relations with Israel may open new channels.

Gargash also referred to the attacks themselves and claimed that Iran launched about 2,000 missiles and UAVs at the United Arab Emirates, while most of them were aimed at civilian targets such as buildings, airports and roads, contrary to Iran’s claim that it attacks targets related to Israel and the United States only. He emphasized that contrary to the claims made in Iran, for example by Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, it is not about Israel attacking the Emirates, but a direct threat from Iran.

According to him, the Iranian strategy turns out to be wrong, because it presents Iran as a greater threat to the region, while Israel is seen as less dangerous in this context. At the same time, he noted that the war emphasizes the importance of the relationship with the United States and even strengthens its role in the region.

Looking ahead, Gargash said the UAE is considering joining the United States in an effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz, as part of President Trump’s effort to open the critical passage blocked by Iran. He added that the responsibility for this does not lie only with Washington, but also with countries in Asia, Europe and the region itself.

Gargash avoided placing direct responsibility for the outbreak of the war on the United States or Israel, and instead focused on criticizing Iran. According to him, the attacks against its neighbors reveal it as a major destabilizing factor. These things come after such criticism has been heard in recent months specifically about Israel, especially after the attack on senior Hamas officials in Qatar in September.

He also added that Iran’s capabilities in the field of missiles and UAVs are a real problem for regional stability, especially due to the way they are used against countries that have tried to act as mediators and bridge between the parties. Gargash expressed great skepticism towards the possibility that Iran will continue to have a nuclear program and missile and UAV arrays as it currently has in the future, and made it clear that the latest developments only strengthen these concerns among the countries of the region.

According to data published in the Financial Times, the United Arab Emirates is the country with the most range among all the countries attacked by Iran, with 1,627 drones and 319 missiles launched at it, as of two days ago. More than twice as many missiles were launched at the United Arab Emirates than at Kuwait, the second country on the list. Also this morning, an Iranian attack was reported in Dubai, as well as in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.