'Gulf's Passive Defence Has Limits,' UAE Official Warns Iran Amid Ongoing Attacks

2026-03-02 10:25:47

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

In an interview, Dr Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi said Tehran has lost all trust and its leaders are living in 'delusions of the past'

PUBLISHED: Mon 2 Mar 2026, 10:06 AM

By:
Ruqayya Al Qaydi

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A top UAE official has issued a stark warning to Iran that the Gulf states' commitment to passive defence has“limits”, and that continued attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure will not be tolerated indefinitely.

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In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Dr Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee at the UAE's Federal National Council, confirmed that Gulf coordination is operating“at a high level” to assess the attacks and“determine options and paths".

“It is very important that the Iranian side realises that the Gulf states' commitment to passive defence has its limits,” he said.“It will not stop at this if the aggression against citizens, residents, and civilian facilities continues.”

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However, the UAE is working to not be forced to become a party to a war from which the Iranian people will be harmed.“We want all the best for the Iranian people.” He said.

Dr Al Nuaimi argued that Iran's public narrative has been exposed.“Iran presents a narrative in which it is committed to international law... and calls for good neighbourliness, but in its dealings with the countries of the region, it is the first to violate these very principles,” he said.

He noted that Gulf states had pledged that their territory would not be used to attack Iran, but that commitment was rewarded with aggression.“The reward for this commitment from Iran was an attack on these countries... the UAE received what can only be described as a brutal aggression.”

He pointed to the attacks on Oman, a nation that had been actively mediating negotiations, as a prime example of this betrayal.“Even those who were sympathetic to Iran are now shocked,” he remarked.

'Highway robbers or a failed state'

Dr Al Nuaimi pointed to the contradiction of the government disavowing attacks launched from its own territory.

“If the Foreign Minister says that his country is not responsible for the attacks launched from it, then we are either in front of highway robbers, or a state that has lost its credibility and its commitments before the world and the international community,” he said.

He argued that the current attacks prove that long-standing criticism of Iran's nuclear programme, ballistic missiles, and regional militias was correct.“The message is that everyone who was criticising Iran... their position was correct, and that Iran must be prevented from all of this because its actions, especially with its neighbours, are aggressive actions.”

Civilian targets

Dr Al Nuaimi highlighted that Iran's attacks were not aimed at military targets but at civilian infrastructure, in what he described as an attempt to create“media noise” in the region.

“The attacks that are taking place now have no relation to military bases. They target civilian facilities. They target all the airports in the region. They target densely populated centres,” he said.“The loser in this clamour is the regime.”

He added that the UAE would not be moved.“We in the UAE, and in the Gulf countries, will not be shaken from our positions. We will maintain our political line and our discourse, and we are committed to preserving the security of everyone who lives on the land of the Emirates.”

'In the wind'

Dr Al Nuaimi said Iran's actions have sent an unmistakable message to the world, one of untrustworthiness that makes any future negotiations fundamentally problematic.

“Iran's message to the world today is: do not trust us. We cannot be trusted. Even if we sign a million agreements, we will not respect them,” he said, noting that Iran broke its pledge not to attack the region if Gulf states did not allow their territory to be used for strikes against it.

“The credibility of this regime is in the wind. It cannot be trusted,” he said.“Even if you call for negotiations who do you negotiate with? And who guarantees that this regime will honour its commitments?”

Residents 'compete to defend' UAE

Dr Al Nuaimi also praised the response of the UAE's diverse community of residents, calling it proof that the country's model of coexistence has passed its greatest test.

“I am proud that I see residents on the land of the Emirates competing to defend the UAE, competing to show the truth of what is happening here,” he said.“Look at social media, different nationalities are competing to highlight the UAE, to defend it, to adopt its discourse, and to affirm their belonging to this nation.”

He offered a firm reassurance to all who call the UAE home.“I assure everyone that this region will remain a safe region. We will not allow anyone to destabilise it or tamper with its security. Everyone who lives on this land will find security and stability.”