‘We won’t be blackmailed by Iranian terrorists,’ says UAE official

A top Emirati official rejects claims the country was dragged into the conflict with Iran.

By World Israel News Staff

A senior United Arab Emirates government official struck a defiant tone Sunday, referring to Iran as terrorists attempting to blackmail countries across the region—signaling a marked shift in how the Gulf state is viewing ongoing attacks on its energy and civilian infrastructure.

“We will never be blackmailed by terrorists,” UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan wrote on his X account, responding to a post suggesting the UAE had been dragged unnecessarily into the conflict.

The comment came after criticism from Gerard Araud, a former French ambassador to the United States, the United Nations, and Israel, who questioned the UAE’s alignment with Washington.

The ex-diplomat, using language similar to that of the Iranian regime, said the Emirates’ continued alliance with the U.S. was “strange,” arguing that it had deepened its “dependence on a country that has led yours into a disastrous conflict without caring about your interests.”

Al Nahyan, who is the brother of the UAE president, dismissed the criticism, reiterating that the country would not be “blackmailed by terrorists.”

The sharp language reflects a broader shift in tone from the UAE, which — like other oil-rich Gulf states — initially avoided taking sides following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.

However, after a series of Iranian attacks on Emirati targets, officials in Abu Dhabi have begun signaling growing frustration with Tehran. Iran has claimed such strikes are justified because the UAE hosts American military bases.

“Iran’s full-throttle attack on the Gulf states will actually strengthen the Israeli role in the Gulf, will not diminish it,” Emirati diplomat Anwar Gargash said during a Council on Foreign Relations event last week.

“For countries that have relations with Israel, this is — you know, this relationship, in my opinion, will be even more strengthened,” he continued. “For countries that don’t have, I expect… that more channels will be open.”