Iran says UAE “active partner” in US-‘Israeli’ war

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday accused the United Arab Emirates of playing an "active" role in the US-‘Israeli’ war against Iran.

Speaking during the BRICS Summit in India, Araghchi said, "The UAE is an active partner in this aggression, there is no doubt about that. It has also become clear that it participated in these attacks, and may even have acted directly against us."

Araghchi also referred to what the office of ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a "secret" meeting with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a meeting that Abu Dhabi has denied took place.

"The truth is that the UAE was directly involved in the aggressive action against my country, as they refrained from even condemning the aggression when it began," he added.

He continued: "It has become clear that they participated in these attacks, and may even have acted directly against us."

Relations between Iran and the UAE have been under severe strain since February 28, when the US-‘Israeli’ strikes began, prompting Iran to retaliate with attacks on ‘Israel’ and US-allied Gulf states, including the UAE.

Despite a ceasefire that has been in effect, though marred by violations, since April 8, Iranian state television continues to air commentary from analysts accusing the UAE of involvement in attacks against Iran during the conflict.

In early May, the UAE blamed the Islamic Republic for a drone strike targeting the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, an accusation Iran denied.

Iran has repeatedly accused Gulf states of allowing US forces to launch strikes from their territory.

However, Gulf countries have denied the allegations, stressing even before the war began that they would not allow their territory or airspace to be used to attack Iran.

The UAE is considered one of the United States' closest regional allies and is among the few Arab states to normalize ties with ‘Israel’ following the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020.