In recent days, the United Arab Emirates have stepped up efforts to end the war with Iran, joining Saudi Arabia and Qatar in urging U.S. President Donald Trump to give negotiations a chance, according to several people familiar with the matter. According to sources, the talks arose out of the countries’ fear that any retaliation by Tehran, if hostilities resume, would plunge Gulf economies into chaos. In separate calls with Trump, the leaders of the three US allies said that military action will not achieve the US’s long-term goals with Iran, added the sources, who asked to remain anonymous discussing sensitive matters.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Abu Dhabi’s stance signals a change in a country that has suffered the brunt of Iran’s attacks and that has been more bellicose toward Tehran than its neighbors. YesAccording to sources, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar They disagree about the type of diplomatic agreement the United States should seek and the firmness it should take with Iran. However, their approach to Trump underscores their shared misgivings about the possibility of a repeat of the situation experienced at the end of February, when Israel and the United States declared war on the Islamic Republic, and the ceasefire at the beginning of April.
Iran and Tehran-backed militant groups in Iraq responded by launching thousands of drones and missiles across the Gulf, killing dozens of people and causing billions of dollars’ worth of damage to ports and energy infrastructure. “The Arab Gulf states had their worst fears confirmed,” said Dina Esfandiary, an analyst at Bloomberg Economics. “They were caught in the middle of the war between the United States and Iran and suffered much of the consequences. They now face the possibility of a new confrontation if the ceasefire does not translate into a permanent agreement, putting their image as stable regional havens at risk.”
The United Arab Emirates was frustrated when Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states refused to jointly respond with force against Iran to deter its attacks, it was reported. BloombergNews. Abu Dhabi carried out limited strikes against Iran in coordination with the United States and Israel, while Saudi Arabia took similar steps separately, according to sources close to the matter. YoIran and the United States agreed to a truce on April 8 and are exchanging messages through Pakistan on a peace agreement. Both countries have declared their readiness to resume hostilities and show few signs of making concessions. Still, Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared on Friday that there had been “slight progress” in the negotiations, and Iranian media made similar comments.
Pakistani army chief Asim Munir was scheduled to visit Iran that same day, which could indicate that the sides were moving closer to an agreement. The UAE’s discontent with other Arab states culminated in its surprise decision in late April to leave OPEC, the oil cartel led by Saudi Arabia. However, since then, relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have improved. The GCC is a six-member body comprising the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. “The United Arab Emirates maintains close coordination and consultation with the Member States of the Gulf Cooperation Council, together with regional and international partners,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement sent to Bloomberg on Thursday.
Lots of firepower
That same day, all members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with the exception of Oman, sent a letter to an international shipping watchdog rejecting Iran’s attempts to permanently control maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran de facto closed this sea lane at the beginning of the war, thereby disrupting oil and natural gas exports from many GCC countries. Iran and its allies still have considerable military power, despite heavy losses suffered by Tehran’s army and the assassination of several key leaders during the war.
The threat to the Gulf countries was evident last Sunday with a drone attack against a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates, which Abu Dhabi blamed on Iraqi militias supported by Iran. A day later, Trump said he had spoken to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, and that they had dissuaded him from attacking Iran. Some Gulf leaders are not sure that their requests will be met and are worried that Israel will convince Trump to attack Iran again, according to one of the people consulted.
The Jewish state, which has strengthened its defense and security ties with the United Arab Emirates since the start of the war, considers the Islamic Republic an existential threat. He Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that more attacks are necessary to further weaken the Iranian military. There is a 50% chance that we will reach a deal with Iran, Anwar Gargash, senior advisor to the president of the United Arab Emirates, said on Friday. “I am concerned that the Iranians have always over-negotiated. I hope they don’t do it this time, because the region needs a political solution. A second military confrontation will only complicate things.”
in trouble
Trump is in a difficult situation. While he set out to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile program and even alluded to regime change, the war has cost the United States tens of billions of dollars. According to some sources, Saudi Arabia supports mediation through Pakistan and believes that getting Iran to curb its nuclear and ballistic missile programs can only be resolved through dialogue. According to sources, both the kingdom and the UAE believe that, for now. With energy prices soaring due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the conflict is increasingly unpopular among Americans. The American leader has oscillated between threatening massive airstrikes against Iran and saying the two countries are close to reaching a peace deal.
According to some sources, Saudi Arabia supports mediation through Pakistan and believes that getting Iran to curb its nuclear and ballistic missile programs can only be resolved through dialogue. According to sources, both the kingdom and the UAE believe that for now, the United States should focus on getting Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and maintaining the naval blockade of Iranian ports to pressure Tehran to do so.
Qatar continues to support mediation efforts led by Pakistan, a diplomat from the country said. Doha has constantly advocated de-escalation for the benefit of the region and its population, the diplomat added. In his statement to Bloombergthe UAE Foreign Ministry reiterated that any deal must address the “full range of threats” from Iran. This includes the country’s nuclear capabilities, ballistic missiles, drones and “terrorist and allied groups,” he said.
A Saudi Foreign Ministry official referred to Bloomberg to a statement by Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan on Wednesday. Prince Faisal said the kingdom “greatly appreciates” Trump’s decision to “give diplomacy the opportunity to reach an acceptable agreement to end the war.”