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A senior UAE official has rejected suggestions by former Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif that a deal with the US alone could pave the way for a return to normality.
Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, said Mr Zarif’s proposal for Tehran to “declare victory” and pursue a broad agreement with Washington, while overlooking its attacks on its Gulf neighbours, is fundamentally flawed.
“Reading Mr Javad Zarif’s article in Foreign Affairs ignores one of the core flaws in Iran’s strategy: aggression against its Gulf Arab neighbours,” he wrote on X.
“Thousands of missiles and drones targeting infrastructure, civilians, even mediators, is not strength; it is hubris and strategic failure. The Arab world has seen this before: destruction peddled as victory,” he added. “Such narratives no longer hold.”
Since the war started on February 28, Iran has fired about 1,100 missiles and 3,800 drones at Gulf countries, compared with about 850 launched at Israel. In total, about 85 per cent of Iran’s aerial campaign has been directed at Gulf states, rather than Israel.
It has maintained an average of roughly 120 drone attacks per day across Gulf countries, while ballistic missile launches have declined. The UAE has borne the brunt of the attacks. By April 1, its air defences had intercepted about 440 ballistic missiles, 20 cruise missiles and around 2,000 drones.
In his article, Mr Zarif argued that Iran should “declare victory” and seek a deal that includes limits on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He also proposed a mutual non-aggression pact with Washington and expanded economic ties to allow Tehran to shift focus towards domestic priorities.
However, his proposal did not address Iran’s attacks on Gulf states nor how relations with neighbouring countries would be reset.
Last Sunday, Dr Gargash said any political solution must include clear guarantees that Iran’s attacks on Gulf states would not be repeated and must establish the principle of non-aggression. The solution must also include Iranian compensation for the targeting of civilian and vital facilities, as well as civilians themselves.
“Iran deceived its neighbours before the war about its intentions and revealed a premeditated aggression despite their sincere efforts to avoid it,” he said. The two paths he set out were essential in confronting what he described as a regime that has become the primary threat to security in the Arabian Gulf.
Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State, said that as well as a guarantee that the attacks will never happen again, the UAE wants a lasting security arrangement. This should include the permanent preservation of freedom of navigation and “a framework that enforces accountability rather than merely recording condemnation”, she said.
