Tarek Chouiref
16 May 2026•Update: 16 May 2026
The United Arab Emirates said Friday that it does not seek protection from any party and is capable of deterring aggression, while reaffirming its right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The remarks were made by Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar during a meeting of BRICS bloc foreign ministers in New Delhi, according to state news agency WAM.
Al Marar rejected Iranian accusations and criticism directed at the UAE and dismissed attempts to justify attacks targeting the country and others in the region, saying such actions violate the UN Charter, international law, and principles of good neighborliness. Both the UAE and Iran are BRICS members, and both attended the India summit.
Al Marar also rejected threats to the UAE’s sovereignty, national security, and independent decision-making, saying the country retains its sovereign, legal, diplomatic, and military rights to respond to hostile acts.
He said pressure campaigns and what he called malicious claims would not alter the UAE’s positions or deter it from safeguarding its national interests.
Al Marar said the UAE had intercepted nearly 3,000 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones since Feb. 28 – the start of the US and Israeli war on Iran – targeting civilian facilities and critical infrastructure, including airports, ports, and energy facilities.
He also accused Iran of disrupting maritime routes, including what he called the effective closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz, describing the use of the waterway as pressure as “an act of piracy.”
The remarks came a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the UAE of maintaining an “alliance” with Israel and claimed Abu Dhabi had been directly involved in attacks on Iran.
Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel, as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce indefinitely.