‘Iran has miscalculated again’: Top officials say UAE will not be intimidated by attacks
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Top UAE officials have issued a unified condemnation of recent Iranian aggression, warning that Tehran’s targeting of civilian infrastructure and commercial shipping represents a dangerous escalation that threatens both regional stability and global security.
This follows a series of acts, including drone and missile attacks on facilities in the UAE that resulted in the injury of three Indian nationals, as well as the targeting of a national tanker belonging to Adnoc by two drones while the tanker was navigating the Strait of Hormuz.
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Emirati leaders made it clear that the UAE will not be intimidated by these actions and retains the full right to defend its sovereignty and the safety of its citizens and residents.
‘A morally bankrupt regime’
Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, described Iran actions of targeting civilians as a sign of desperation. “The dangerous Iranian escalation and the targeting of civilians is nothing but a moral bankruptcy of a regime that has chosen aggression as a method of dealing with its neighbours,” Dr Gargash stated on X.
He emphasised that the UAE’s firm and principled stance will not be shaken by these threats. “This escalation will not intimidate the UAE, nor will it allow (Iran) to draw the features of the upcoming relations in the region. Once again, Iran has miscalculated.”
In a subsequent statement addressing the attack on the Adnoc tanker, Dr Gargash highlighted the broader economic implications. “The brutal Iranian aggression and acts of maritime piracy by targeting a national tanker belonging to Adnoc during its transit through the Strait of Hormuz continues,” he said.
He added “The UAE’s position is firm in rejecting aggression and supporting freedom of navigation in this vital international corridor. These attacks confirm that the Iranian threat to the security and stability of the region is continuous and cannot be ignored.”
In a further statement today, Dr Gargash said the UAE values and appreciates the messages of solidarity it has received from Gulf, Arab and international partners, all of which denounce and condemn Iran’s brutal attacks.
He said these positions reflect the international community’s commitment to a rules-based order founded on values and responsibility, one that rejects rogue behavior and isolates those who commit it. “These positions confirm that Iran is the aggressor, responsible for escalating the crisis in the Arabian Gulf, and the source of threat and danger to its security and stability,” he said.
A pattern of aggression
Dr Ali Alnuaimi, Chairman of the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee at the Federal National Council, echoed these sentiments, noting that the attacks are part of a broader strategy of destabilisation.
“The Iranian regime’s terrorist attacks against the UAE are not isolated incidents,” Dr Alnuaimi noted. “They reflect a pattern of aggression that undermines regional stability and exposes a deeper truth — a regime that doesn’t believe in negotiations to solve conflicts cannot be trusted as a responsible international actor.”
Prominent Emirati political science professor Abdulkhaleq Abdulla went further, framing the aggression as an existential issue for the broader international community.
“The brutal Iranian attack on the UAE today confirms that it is impossible to coexist with… an Iranian terrorist regime that poses an existential threat to the countries of the region and the countries of the entire world,” Prof Abdulla stated. “Iran has become a global problem that requires a decisive global response. The UAE knows how to defend itself, and the world must defend its interests.”
