Iran on Thursday accused the UAE of playing a role in the ongoing US‑Israeli war, escalating tensions between Tehran and Gulf states.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking during a BRICS summit in India, said the UAE had directly supported military actions against Iran, according to AFP.
“The UAE is an active partner in this aggression, and there is no doubt about it,” Araghchi said in a statement posted on Telegram.
He added that Abu Dhabi had failed to condemn the initial attacks and later accused the country of direct involvement.
“It also became clear that they participated in these attacks and may have even acted directly against us,” he said.
Araghchi also referenced reports of a possible meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, which Abu Dhabi has denied.
This comes after Ukraine and the UAE agreed to cooperate on defense amid Iran’s drone strikes across the region, as reported in March.
However, in remarks carried by Iran’s state news agency IRNA, Araghchi warned that reliance on alliances with outside powers could backfire.
“The Zionist regime and the United States cannot guarantee their security,” he said, also pointing to the risks associated with hosting US military bases in the region.
At the same time, he stressed that Iran and the UAE must ultimately coexist as neighbors.
“We must therefore change our perspective and understand security as mutual cooperation, not as cooperation with foreign countries,” he said.
Rising Gulf tensions
Relations between Iran and the UAE have been strained for years but have deteriorated further since the outbreak of the US‑Israeli conflict with Iran on Feb. 28, which triggered retaliatory strikes across the region.
Iran has repeatedly accused Gulf states of allowing their territory to be used as a base for US operations - accusations those countries have consistently denied.
However, Gulf governments have said they do not permit their airspace or territory to be used for attacks against Iran, a position reiterated even before the conflict escalated.
Conflicting claims
The latest accusations come amid mutual claims of attacks and denials.
On Wednesday, US intelligence assessments reported that Iran had restored operations at most missile sites, including 30 of 33 along the Strait of Hormuz.
Following this, and earlier this month, the UAE blamed Iran for a drone strike on an energy facility in Fujairah, a claim Tehran has since rejected.
Analysts on Iranian state media have also alleged Emirati involvement in strikes, though such claims have not been officially verified.
A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 8, but tensions remain high, with both sides continuing to exchange accusations and warnings.