Attacks on Saudi Arabia represent a direct threat to the security and prosperity of the UAE, Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, has said.
Dr Gargash was referring to a reported Houthi attack targeting Makkah on Tuesday evening, in which a drone was intercepted and destroyed before it entered the holy city's airspace.
At the Arab Media Summit in Dubai on Thursday, he also addressed the need to rebuild trust with Iran after its regular attacks on Gulf states since the outbreak of the war on February 28. “The security and prosperity of the UAE is directly connected to the security and prosperity of Saudi Arabia,” Dr Gargash said.
He addressed the threat posed by Iran-backed militia groups acting without official government backing. “Weapons outside the hands of government will make the country [Iran] unstable,” said Dr Gargash, adding that armed militias attacking Middle East countries are being directly influenced by Iran.
The prosperity of the region is closely connected to how the Iran war is resolved and how relations are repaired in its aftermath, he said. “We are still in a crisis and leaving this crisis with minimum damage is a must,” Dr Gargash told the summit.
Preparing for dialogue
He said the UAE's role is not only to defend itself and protect its sovereignty but also to prepare for open dialogue with Iran.
“This crisis will end and we have to prepare for a new page,” he said. “Relations with Iran are a must and there needs to be dialogue. However, the trust will need many years [to be rebuilt]. We faced a large attack from Iran, not just against the UAE but all Gulf countries.”
Dr Gargash said Iran's decision to attack neighbouring Gulf states was a strategic mistake. “Iran needs to look at the GCC [Gulf Co-operation Council] with a different view than the one that led to the catastrophic decision to attack Gulf countries. The first step is to stop the attacks as you can't negotiate a new future while still attacking.”
He made reference to comments by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who met Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, at the Brics summit in New Delhi last weekend. “The Iranian President has criticised the attacks on the GCC,” Dr Gargash said. “His is a reasonable voice amid crises.
“Such voices will help the region … exit from this crisis. There is an agreement to turn the page and look to the future for the benefit of the UAE, Iran and the rest of the region,” he said.
