UAE demands ‘conclusive’ victory over Iran before war’s end

Emirati ambassador to the United States warns that ending the war without defeating Iran “would simply defer the next crisis.”

By World Israel News Staff

A senior United Arab Emirates official has called for a decisive American and Israeli victory over Iran before the ongoing war ends, warning that Tehran must be defeated to ensure long-term regional stability, including for Gulf states.

In an op-ed titled “The UAE Stands Up to Iran,” published in The Wall Street Journal, Emirati Ambassador to the United States Yousef Al Otaiba stressed that his country — targeted by repeated missile and explosive drone attacks — is unwilling to accept a scenario in which the fighting ends without meaningful change. Some estimates indicate the UAE has been targeted by Iran even more frequently than Israel.

“The past 3½ weeks of war have confirmed what we have known for nearly 50 years — Iran’s revolution is a threat to global security and economic stability. We can’t let Iran hold the U.S., the United Arab Emirates and the global economy hostage,” he wrote.

“A simple cease-fire isn’t enough. We need a conclusive outcome that addresses Iran’s full range of threats: nuclear capabilities, missiles, drones, terror proxies and blockades of international sea lanes,” he added.

The op-ed said that the Emirates “wants Iran as a normal neighbor,” meaning one that does not “attack its neighbors, blockade international waters, or export extremism.”

Al Otaiba concluded that “building a fence around the problem and wishing it goes away isn’t the answer. It would simply defer the next crisis.”

Since the outbreak of the war, Gulf states — including the UAE — have come under heavy attack from Iran. While these countries initially sought to remain outside the conflict, repeated strikes on critical infrastructure, including airports and oil facilities, have hardened their positions.

Earlier this week, UAE Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in an exchange on X that his country would “never be blackmailed” by Iranian “terrorists.”

The op-ed comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly expressed his desire to “wind down” the war and is pushing for talks with Iran aimed at securing a ceasefire and ending the conflict.