No Military Solution, As Gulf States Face 'Unjustified' Strikes: UAE President Advisor

2026-03-01 06:49:20

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Dr Anwar Gargash said Gulf states are working to contain the escalation and reassured residents amid rising regional tensions

[Editor's Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog amid Israeli, US strikes on Iran for the latest regional developments.]

Gulf countries are working to contain a fast-moving regional escalation after recent attacks targeted cities and facilities across the region, according to Dr Anwar Gargash, the Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President.

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In an interview with Sky News Arabia on February 28, he said the UAE and its neighbours had spent months trying to prevent events from reaching this stage and remain focused on returning the crisis to negotiations.

Gargash warned that military action would only complicate the situation and create new challenges the region does not need. He added that recent developments risk isolating Iran and rebuilding long-term mistrust with Gulf states. At the same time, he stressed Gulf societies are civilian communities not built for conflict, with diverse populations at risk from any spillover. He also reassured residents that the UAE is prepared and urged the public to rely on official information and avoid rumours.

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The UAE and its Gulf neighbours are focused on containing the current escalation and preventing a wider conflict, Gargash said, stressing that military action cannot resolve the region's long-standing challenges.

“Military solutions complicate matters. They are not solutions in themselves, and there is no alternative to political solutions,” he said.

He added that the latest escalation had been expected for months as tensions grew around nuclear negotiations and wider regional developments.

“The escalation we are seeing today was expected months ago, based on monitoring the course of the nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran, along with broader regional developments,” he said.

Despite that assessment, he said Gulf countries had worked intensively to prevent the situation from reaching its current stage.

“We always hoped that matters would not reach where they are today,” he said.

Gargash referred to the active role played by regional countries to avoid escalation through direct communication and diplomatic engagement with international partners. He pointed to Qatar's role in facilitating the exchange of messages between Iran and the United States, Oman's primary role as a key mediator in negotiations, and what he described as the positive and constructive role played by Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region.

According to Gargash, the UAE and other Gulf states sent repeated diplomatic signals and maintained communication with international partners in an effort to avoid confrontation if negotiations failed. He said the region had also conveyed clear assurances aimed at reducing tensions.

“We made it clear that our bases, our airspace and our territories would not be used in any attack against Iran,” he said.“We expected these messages to be respected, given that Iran is a neighbour to us and to other Gulf countries,” he added.

With escalation now under way, he said the priority is to limit its scope and return to diplomacy.“Now the priority is to contain the war and return the situation to the negotiating table,” he said.

Iran risks deeper isolation

Gargash warned that recent attacks targeting Gulf territories could have long-term consequences for regional relations, saying such actions would deepen mistrust and isolate Iran from its neighbours.

“The Iranian position is difficult to understand, and it reflects a lack of rational vision,” he said. He warned that the developments would reverse years of efforts to rebuild confidence and create lasting hostility across the region.

“There is short-sightedness. There will be hostility that will extend for years to come and a return to a lack of trust,” Gargash said.

Too early to map the conflict

Gargash said it is still too early to determine how the situation will evolve, describing the current phase as the early hours of a complex and fluid confrontation.“It is too early to draw a scenario for the nature of the war we are seeing today,” he said.

However, he warned that regardless of how events unfold, the escalation is likely to bring new complications to a region already burdened by multiple crises.“The situation will bring a set of complications to the region that it does not need,” he said.

Message to residents

Addressing UAE citizens, residents, and visitors, Gargash sought to reassure the public that the country is prepared to manage the situation.“Our air defences carried out their mission very successfully,” he said.

He urged the public not to rely on unverified information and to follow official sources for updates.“Do not listen to rumours. Get your information from official sources,” Gargash said.

He added that the country's leadership is managing the situation with confidence and readiness, expressing assurance that the UAE will navigate the current developments with stability.“We will get through this crisis with strength, smoothness and resilience,” he said.