Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed, on Saturday said Iran's attacks on Gulf nations highlighted its "military failure, political isolation and lack of morality".
He called on Iran to halt its persistent strikes on neighbouring countries and stressed the need for mediation efforts to begin, in a message shared on social media platform X.
The senior Emirati diplomat said the UAE was proving that its "steadfastness" in the face of daily attacks was stronger than "the aggressor's hatred".
"The Iranian strategy, which reflects its inability to confront American and Israeli strikes, by targeting Arab Gulf states, reveals a military failure, a moral bankruptcy, and a political isolation," Dr Gargash said.
"Misleading media statements will not cover up this reality. A return to sound judgment begins with halting the targeting of neighbours and activating their mediation efforts.
"And in the UAE, we prove every day that our steadfastness is stronger than the aggressor's hatred."
In a later post on X, Dr Gargash responded directly to accusations made by the Iranian Foreign Minister. He said that after "the brutal Iranian attack" on the UAE, "Mr Abbas Araghchi emerges to accuse the UAE of aggression against Iran, as part of a confused policy that has misdirected its aim, lost its compass, and forsaken wisdom".
"The UAE has the right to self-defence in the face of this terrorist aggression imposed upon it, yet it continues to prioritise reason and logic, maintaining restraint and seeking an exit for Iran and the region.
"In his justification, Araghchi has condemned his own country, entrenched its isolation, and exposed its aggression, all while knowing that the UAE exerted sincere efforts until the very last moment to mediate between Washington and Tehran to avert this war."
The sustained Iranian attacks on the UAE have resulted in six deaths – of Emirati, Pakistani, Nepali and Bangladeshi nationals – and more than 140 injuries.
UAE minister says attacks must stop
UAE Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh says Iran must stop its attacks on Gulf countries and comply with international law, warning that continued conflict threatens regional stability and the global economy.
In an interview with NBC News chief international correspondent Keir Simmons on Friday, Ms Nusseibeh said Iran’s actions have targeted not only military sites but civilian infrastructure across the region, which was "unacceptable" and the UAE would not respond to bullying by backing down.
“When does responding to a regional bully by backing down ever bode well for the region, for countries or for the international community?
"We will not respond to bullying by backing down … But the UAE and other countries in the region are always committed to the diplomatic pathway forward at the end of this. But this has to start with their desisting from these illegal attacks on Gulf partners.”
Ms Nusseibeh said that Iran must abide by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817 adopted this week that condemned Iran’s actions over the past two weeks and called on it to stop any further attacks.
“You can’t change the geography," she said. "They are very much integrated into the region. We have a lot of respect for Iranian people, for their culture, for their potential as an economy and as a power in the region. But they have to behave responsibly. They have to behave like a responsible state. Today the international community has described them as a rogue actor.”
Describing the attacks as an "illegal onslaught on Gulf countries" aimed at civilian infrastructure, she paid tribute to those defending the UAE and said authorities had "assertively" defended the country and the communities that live in the UAE.
