Iran and UAE clash at Brics foreign ministers' meeting

AFP/Reuters: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of direct involvement in military operations against his country during a Brics meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, Iranian state media reported.

The spat comes a day after the UAE denied a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he visited the Gulf country during the Iran war, to which Araghchi already reacted by saying that “those colluding with Israel to sow division will be held to account”.

“I didn’t name the UAE in my [Brics] statement for the sake of unity. But the truth is that the UAE was directly involved in the aggression against my country. When the attacks started, they didn’t even issue a condemnation,” state media quoted Araghchi as saying on Thursday, in response to comments made by the Emirati representative.

Iranian state media did not specify what the Emirati representative said.

According to the reports, Araghchi argued that neither US bases nor an alliance with Israel provided the UAE with security and that it should reconsider its policy toward Iran.

“We must live side by side in peace, and this requires peaceful relations and complete understanding between the two countries,” Araghchi added.

Meanwhile, in a post on Telegram, Araghchi accused the UAE of playing an active role in the US-Israeli war against his country. “The UAE is an active partner in this aggression, and there is no doubt about it,” Araghchi wrote.

He also referred to what Israel has described as a “secret” meeting in the UAE during the war between Netanyahu and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan — a visit Abu Dhabi has denied took place.

“I must say that the UAE was directly involved in the act of aggression against my country. When this aggression began, they even refused to condemn it,” Araghchi said.

“It also became clear that they participated in these attacks and may have even acted directly against us,” he added.

On Monday, The Wall Street Journal published a story saying the UAE carried out military operations against Iran in early April.

Iranian media have raised doubt as to whether the participants at the Brics foreign ministers’ meeting in India will manage to issue a final communique as a result of differences between Iran and the UAE, with Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi being cited as saying there were “problems and communications” due to the UAE’s presence.

Relations between Iran and the UAE have been strained since February 28 when US-Israeli attacks triggered Iranian retaliatory strikes against Israel and US allies in the Gulf, including the UAE. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 8.

Iran has repeatedly accused Gulf states of allowing US forces to carry out attacks from their territory.

Gulf nations have repeatedly denied the accusations, saying even before the conflict that they would not allow their territory or airspace to be used to attack Iran.

Iranian state television has featured analysts alleging UAE involvement in the attacks on Iran. The UAE earlier this month blamed Iran for a drone strike at an energy installation in its eastern emirate of Fujairah, a claim Iran denied.