Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, said on Sunday that any defensive measures taken by the UAE against Iran will be made “public and clear”.
His remarks come as Israeli media reports quoted unnamed sources that claimed the UAE attacked a desalination plant in Iran.
Dr Gargash shut down such claims by saying: “Any defensive measures that the state will take will be public and clear, and will not rely on press leaks or narratives from unknown sources and intentions”.
“The UAE is in a state of self-defence in the face of the Iranian aggression that targeted its territories, its people, and its civilian infrastructure,” he wrote on X.
“Our goal is to stop this ongoing aggression against the UAE and the Arab Gulf states, not to be dragged into escalation.”
The UAE Foreign Ministry also affirmed on Sunday that the country is in a “state of defence” in response to the “brutal and unprovoked Iranian aggression” which has targeted infrastructure and civilian sites, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries.
“These attacks constitute a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter, an infringement of the UAE’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a direct threat to its security and stability,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The UAE stresses that it does not seek to be drawn into conflicts or escalation, the ministry said.
“However, the UAE reaffirms its full right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty, national security, and territorial integrity, and to ensure the safety of its citizens and residents, in accordance with international law and the UN Charter,” it added.
UAE air defences on Sunday destroyed 16 ballistic missiles and 113 drones launched from Iran, the Defence Ministry said.
The ministry added in a statement that another ballistic missile fell in the sea and four drones fell in the territory of the state.
It said that a total of 238 ballistic missiles have been detected, of which 221 were shot down, since the start of the “blatant Iranian” aggression on the UAE.
Additionally, 1,422 Iranian drones have been identified, 1,342 of which were intercepted. Eight cruise missiles have been destroyed.
Iran says it is targeting American bases in the region in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks. Its explanation has been described as “unconvincing” and “unreasonable” by the UAE and other states.
Dr Gargash had said Tehran crossed a red line by infringing on Gulf states' security. “Your war is not with your neighbours,” he wrote on X last week.
On Saturday, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country’s interim leadership council had asked Iranian forces to stop attacking Gulf states unless his country is attacked from their territory.
In a televised message, he apologised to neighbouring nations and said the decision was conveyed to Iranian forces. However, dozens of attacks have hit Gulf countries since.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said late on Saturday that Mr Pezeshkian's “openness to de-escalation” had been “almost immediately killed” by US President Donald Trump, who claimed the Iranian President had “surrendered” to his country's neighbours.
