RIYADH: The UAE said it was firmly committed to supporting regional security and stability and protecting the people of the region from the repercussions of conflicts.
“The UAE has condemned in the strongest terms the unprovoked Iranian attacks and threats targeting the UAE and countries across the region, which included the launch of nearly 3,000 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones toward the UAE,” a foreign ministry statement on Saturday said.
The ministry said the attacks resulted in civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure and were a clear violation of state sovereignty and a threat to regional security and stability.
The ministry also stressed that “all measures undertaken by the UAE have been within the framework of defensive actions aimed at protecting its sovereignty, civilians, and vital infrastructure, in line with the country’s legitimate right to safeguard its national security and maintain stability.”
The statement said: “attempts at coercion or the promotion of malicious narratives and allegations will not undermine the UAE’s principled positions, nor deter the country from safeguarding its supreme national interest and upholding its sovereignty and independent decision-making.”
On Friday, UAE Minister of State Khalifa bin Shaheen Al-Marar, at a BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, said: “The UAE does not seek protection from others and is fully capable of deterring this unprovoked aggression.”
Al-Marar told the meeting that his country rejected “any allegations or threats targeting its sovereignty, national security, or independent decision-making,” the Emirates News Agency reported.
The US and Israel began a military campaign against Iran on Feb. 28, leading to Tehran attacking Gulf neighbors, Israel and US assets in the region.
A ceasefire, which was announced on April 7, appears to be holding despite skirmishes.
