- Committee established to record ‘Iranian acts of aggression, international crimes and the damages resulting from them’
- Move comes days after Iran resumed missile and drone attacks on the country, the first against the UAE since a ceasefire deal between Iran and the US on April 8
LONDON: The UAE is setting up a committee to document attacks by Iran on the country and the damage they cause.
The findings will be used to support the nation’s legal efforts to achieve accountability and justice, the state-run Emirates News Agency reported on Thursday.
The UAE was heavily targeted during the first six weeks of the US-Israeli war with Iran, which began on Feb. 28, and authorities in the country accused Tehran of resuming drone and missile attacks on its territory this week. The strikes on Monday and Tuesday were the first against the UAE since shortly after Iran and the US reached a ceasefire agreement on April 8.
The committee will document “Iranian acts of aggression, international crimes and the damages resulting from them, which affected the territory of the UAE, its citizens, visitors and residents,” according to the resolution issued to set up the body.
Chaired by the nation’s attorney general, it will document violations “in accordance with the highest legal and technical standards,” to provide a “comprehensive national record based on reliable evidence.” It will include representatives from key federal ministries and other local entities and call on local and international experts for assistance.
The UAE said it has been targeted with more than 2,000 drones, hundreds of ballistic missiles and dozens of cruise missiles launched from Iran during the conflict. While the vast majority were intercepted, the attacks killed at least 13 people, injured more than 200, and damaged energy infrastructure and landmark buildings.
Other Arab Gulf countries have also been targeted repeatedly during the conflict, despite insisting they were not involved in the Israeli-US military actions against Iran.
The UAE previously called for Iran to be held accountable for its attacks and pay reparations for the damage caused.
The new committee will assess the “human, material and economic damages” arising from the Iranian attacks and document the casualties and injuries suffered. The work will be carried in accordance with “internationally recognized standards for documenting international crimes” in a way that will “enhance the reliability and legal admissibility of such evidence.”
The resolution comes a day after the UAE condemned what it described as hostile statements by Tehran that alleged Abu Dhabi’s cooperation with the US threatened Iran’s security and national interests.
The UAE’s Foreign Ministry said that its international relations and defense partnerships were a “purely sovereign matter.”