UAE urges Iran to halt attacks on Gulf states

An official from the United Arab Emirates said on Saturday that the escalation of violence was extremely worrying and that the region needed to defuse the conflict rather than allow it to expand. He added that the Gulf states are not direct participants in the conflict.

‘Any escalation is worrying. We want to stop the war and prevent it from spreading. Iran should realise that attacking its entire neighbourhood is not helping,’ the official said.

The remarks came after Iran launched missile attacks on several countries in the region, including states hosting US military bases, in response to US-Israeli strikes on its territory. On Saturday, however, Tehran said it would no longer attack those countries.

In his first public appearance since the attacks began, United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said the country was in a time of war but remained strong and ready to defend itself. ‘The United Arab Emirates has thick skin and tough meat – we are not easy prey,’ he said while visiting people injured in the attacks.

(reuters, est)