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Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, said the Gulf's containment strategy towards Iran had “failed miserably” and warned the country could pose a threat for decades to come.
The senior Emirati official said the “ferocity and recklessness” of Iranian aggression against its neighbours during the conflict had been unexpected.
He said agreements were in place that US military bases in the region would not be used to launch strikes against Iran and insisted Tehran had deliberately stoked confrontation.
“This folly, this ferocity, this indiscriminate attack, which we now see from the launch sites of the aggression, is clearly a premeditated attack,” Dr Gargash said during the Gulf Creators event, held at Atlantis The Palm, in Dubai.
“This was a premeditated plan, not a decision made in 24 or 48 hours.
“Iran's attack on its Arab neighbours is a planned attack, part of a confrontation scenario devised by the Iranian planners, who built the necessary fortifications and armed themselves accordingly.”
Unprecedented assault
The UAE and other Gulf states bore the brunt of daily attacks by Iran after the war started on February 28. The UAE's air defence systems intercepted 537 ballistic missiles, 26 cruise missiles and 2,256 drones throughout the onslaught.
Two UAE Armed Forces personnel and a Moroccan civilian contractor working for the military were killed. Ten civilians were killed and more than 220 were injured.
“We must also say that this event is pivotal because we have never witnessed, in the history of the Gulf, an Iranian attack of this scale, scope and ferocity,” Dr Gargash said.
He added the region would have to reassess its relations with Iran after long-standing diplomatic efforts were swiftly undone.
"Every Gulf state has pursued a policy of containing Iran, and all of those containment policies have failed.
"Whether this containment took the form of mediation, or participation in shared energy fields, or strategic agreements, or—as in the case of the UAE—through trade relations.
“They have failed miserably,” Dr Gargash said. “And today, we are facing an important reassessment. The first part is that this brutal and pre-planned aggression poses a vital threat for decades to come and the second part is that our containment policies have also failed.”
Dr Gargash noted the Gulf Co-operation Council – a key political bloc made up of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait – was now at its lowest ebb.
“Unfortunately, the GCC's position is the weakest in history, considering the nature of the attack and the threat it poses to everyone.
“When I speak about the GCC, I'm not talking about the Secretary General, the Secretariat, or anyone else."
Dr Gargash stressed the UAE was committed to securing peace in the region but now had to carefully consider how best this could be achieved.
“Naturally, we want a political solution but we also don't want a political solution that will create future crises. Any political solution must address the interests of all countries involved.”
Broken trust
He said the damage caused to relations with Iran would not be easily repaired. “Imagine if Iran had nuclear military capabilities in this war. Iran is acting like a superpower, even without nuclear weapons. Imagine if it had such weapons.”
He said missiles and drones, which Iran said were its defensive weapons against the US, were “turned against us, turned against its neighbours”.
“It's simply unacceptable to hear the Iranian Foreign Minister say, 'We are dear neighbours.' This issue cannot be addressed with a series of statements as if nothing has happened.
“We are facing a profound crisis of confidence today, one that I believe will extend for decades to come,” Dr Gargash added.
“Trust, in my view, requires a great deal of work and will take many years. Until that happens, don't be deceived by the statements you hear, statements that may contain a degree of courtesy.”
Strong stance
Dr Gargash said Iran's attacks had underlined the threat it poses and would also serve to strengthen US influence in the Gulf.
“I believe that in any planning room or operations room in the Gulf states, the danger is the Iranian threat. It has also, in my estimation, strengthened the American role in the region.
“Today the American role in the region has become more important, not less, because the American role isn't just about military facilities or anything like that. The American role is a defence system. The American role is political support. The American role is economic and financial engagement.”
Region must be united
Dr Gargash said there was now a need to restore “Gulf unity and solidarity”, which he added was “not at the level required by the challenges and events of today”.
“We cannot allow anyone outside the Gulf region to dictate our security priorities. These missiles will not be aimed at them tomorrow; they will be aimed at us.
“Therefore, there must be a Gulf vision, policy and representation at the national level, and I hope at the collective level as well. National defence is very important but we must also say that Gulf solidarity was not up to the task.”
Road to recovery
Dr Gargash said the UAE had been hit hard by the Iran war but vowed it was in a strong position to bounce back. “Certain sectors, such as tourism, have suffered a significant blow, which we must acknowledge,” he said.
“But let's take the energy sector as well. Many Gulf countries have also been hit but I think this should be a motivating factor, because these things won't automatically recover; you have to work on them. But again, I'll return to the UAE's perspective. I believe the UAE's fundamentals are strong.
“Today, for example, you have a diversified economy, a tolerant and open society, options that aren't as numerous globally, a robust tax system, a country with opportunities, a government constantly evolving and progressing, and a leadership truly aware of the crucial link between the economy and politics.
“I know that in the UAE, the decision has been made to invest heavily in infrastructure as well, to mitigate the risks we saw during this war. So, I have great confidence but I think we must also start from the point that these things won't come back to you automatically.
“These things must be worked on, because I believe this is the main motivator for our governments, our leaders and our people.”
