The UAE on Monday said it would not allow its airspace, territory, or waters to be used in any hostile military actions against Iran, after a US aircraft carrier arrived in the Middle East.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said dialogue and de-escalation were “the most effective foundations for addressing current crises, underscoring the UAE’s approach of resolving disputes through diplomatic means”.
A US official told The National the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, consisting of several warships as well as the aircraft carrier, had arrived in Central Command's area of responsibility.
That means the US now has considerable firepower within striking range of Tehran.
Israel’s Channel 13 reported a ship carrying missile-defence systems was heading to Israel, with a Thaad battery expected to arrive in the coming days.
The carrier strike group's arrival has stoked fears of renewed military escalation between Washington and Tehran, with Iran's proxies threatening to interfere this time.
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem warned on Monday that any threat to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is considered a threat to the militant group. “It is our duty to confront this threat with all measures and preparations,“ he said, warning that waging war on Iran would set the region ablaze.
Iraqi militia group Kataib Hezbollah said on Sunday it was preparing for “total war”.
The Iran-backed group's secretary general, Abu Hussein Al Hamidawi, warned any conflict with Tehran “will not be easy” and said its adversaries would “face severe consequences”. He urged fighters to be “field-ready” and added: “We address our call to our mujahideen brothers … to prepare for a total war in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels also issued a warning, threatening renewed attacks on ships. The Iran-backed group began a campaign of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea a month after the start of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023, in what the rebels called a show of solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
Houthi attacks have largely been halted since a ceasefire came into effect in Gaza last October, although the group has repeatedly warned they could resume strikes if needed. The rebels posted an ominous video on X on Sunday depicting a commercial vessel on fire, with the caption “soon”.
US President Donald Trump on Friday said an “armada” of American warships was heading to the Middle East. He has repeatedly threatened to intervene in support of protesters in Iran after a deadly crackdown on nationwide demonstrations.
At least 5,800 people have been killed during the wave of protests in Iran, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said. About 17,000 more deaths are under review as an internet shutdown continues, the agency added. Iranian authorities have blamed the deaths on “foreign-backed” rioters, accusing the US and Israel of inciting violence in the country.
Mr Trump had reportedly been considering military action against Tehran during the unrest, but held back after being told protest killings were easing and plans for large-scale executions had been halted. But fears of military escalation linger as Iranian and US officials trade threats.
“We have a big flotilla going in that direction and we’ll see what happens,” Mr Trump said as he returned to the US from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last week. “I’d rather not see anything happen but we’re watching them very closely.”
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is accompanied by several guided-missile destroyers. The carrier’s air wing also features F-35C fighter jets.
The assets are similar to the military vessels the US sent to the Caribbean Sea weeks before Mr Trump launched a military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
