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There has been no shift in the UAE’s “defensive posture”, an Emirati official has confirmed to The National, after reports emerged in US media claiming the country was preparing to help Washington and its allies to open the Strait of Hormuz “by force”.
“Recent reporting suggesting a shift in the UAE’s posture is misleading,” The National was told in a statement on Wednesday. “The UAE maintains a defensive posture focused on protecting its sovereignty, its people and its infrastructure, and reserves its right to self-defence in response to ongoing unlawful and unprovoked attacks.”
The UAE has previously declared it was in a “state of defence” in response to Iran's “unprovoked aggression”, which has included the launch of more than 2,000 missiles and drones at the country.
The Emirates has said it does not seek to be drawn into conflict or escalation, and has long warned that the Middle East cannot afford another regional war.
But Gulf states have been in the line of fire since late February, bearing the brunt of Iran's response to US-Israeli strikes on its territory.
Global trade and energy have also taken a hit with Iran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for the global economy, through which a significant share of the world’s energy supplies and critical goods transit,” the UAE official said.
“There is a broad international consensus that freedom of navigation in the strait must be preserved. The UAE underscores that such a strategic waterway cannot be subject to disruption or coercion by any state, particularly in ways that threaten global economic stability and international security.”
As such, the Emirates “remains ready to support collective international efforts aimed at safeguarding maritime security and ensuring the uninterrupted flow of commerce”, the official said.
They added that “any such engagement would have to be conducted in full co-ordination with international partners and in strict adherence to international law”.
The official's remarks follow reports in US media that claimed, quoting unidentified sources, that the UAE is preparing to help the US and its allies “open the Strait of Hormuz by force”, becoming the first Gulf state to “become a combatant” in the war that has engulfed the region.
The UAE has previously said it was open to joining a future US-led multinational effort to ensure safety and security in the Strait of Hormuz.
Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, said his country could work with other nations to ensure maritime security in the strait.
“I can see us, for example, playing a role with other countries in ensuring the safety and security of the Strait of Hormuz,” Dr Gargash told an online event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations think tank.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow stretch of water between Iran and Oman at the entrance to the Arabian Gulf, is one of the world’s most strategically important energy chokepoints and a vital route for global trade.
About a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually crosses the strait, and the Iranian blockade has raised concerns of a global energy shock.
The UAE is also one of dozens of signatories to a statement calling on Iran to put an immediate halt to its attacks on ships crossing the strait, and emphasising that safe passage is enshrined in international law.
The statement, issued last week, was also signed by Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, Denmark, Latvia, Slovenia, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Romania, Bahrain, Lithuania and Australia.
“We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces,” the statement read.
“We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817.”
