Direct military confrontation between UAE and Iran unlikely – expert

In the context of countering Iranian aggression, the United Arab Emirates is building its strategy around self-defense, which makes the possibility of a direct military clash with Iran unlikely at present.

This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by Emirati academic and political analyst Abdul Khaleq Abdullah.

“Despite thousands of missiles and drones, the UAE and other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council have not fired a single bullet toward Iran. Our position is that we do not want to further complicate the situation. Our strategy currently is based on the fact that we are in a state of self-defense. And I consider it unlikely that we will move from self-defense to an offensive,” Abdulla said.

At the same time, the expert emphasized that if Iran’s aggression continues, no scenario can be completely ruled out.

“All our decisions will be based on the provisions of the United Nations Charter, particularly Article 51, which grants the legitimate right to self-defense. However, at present, the military scenario is not the primary one,” Abdul Khaleq Abdullah stressed.

According to him, in the long term, cooperation with Tehran will depend on Iran’s future after Ali Khamenei and on the country’s trajectory after the current war, as the outcome of the conflict will determine the framework for settlement in both the short and long term.

As reported by Ukrinform, on March 10, Iran stated that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would continue until attacks by the United States and Israel on its energy sector stop.