UAE envoy: Ceasefire with Iran is not enough without addressing threats

Yousef Al Otaiba, the United Arab Emirates ambassador to the United States, said that the past three and a half weeks of war have confirmed a long-standing fact: “Iran’s revolution is a threat to global security and economic stability.” 

A simple ceasefire is insufficient — a decisive outcome is needed that addresses the full spectrum of Iranian threats, including nuclear capabilities, missiles, drones, terrorist proxies, and the blockade of international maritime routes, Al Otaiba said in an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal.

The UAE is located just forty miles from the conflict zone and has been targeted by more than 2,180 missiles and drones — more than any other country. Despite this, an effective defence shield has intercepted over 95% of the attacks. Beyond its borders, Iran has struck airports, ports, and energy infrastructure, disrupted oil, fertiliser, and industrial shipments, and threatened cultural and tourism sites through proxy networks.

The Emirates have strengthened infrastructure protection and built a pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. However, the region requires coordinated efforts to restore this strategically vital maritime route and ensure energy supplies to global consumers.

“This isn’t a war we wanted. Until hours before the first strike, Emirati officials undertook intensive diplomatic efforts from Tehran to Washington. We made clear to the Iranians that in the event of a war, U.A.E. territory and airspace wouldn’t be used for strikes on Iran. We knew we would be Iran’s first choice of targets. Not only because we are so near, but because we are so different. The U.A.E. is a modern, progressive, prosperous Muslim society that delivers for its people. We empower women and welcome all faiths. The U.A.E. is the argument Iran can’t win, the idea it can’t accept,” Al Otaiba said.

Despite the attacks, the UAE plans to accelerate economic diversification through projects in artificial intelligence, renewable energy, life sciences, and tourism, including the world’s largest data centre complex, a new Guggenheim Museum, and the region’s first Disney park.

Rating agency S&P Global has confirmed the UAE’s sovereign credit rating at AA/A-1+, citing financial resilience, diversified growth sources, and the ability to protect investments even in a crisis. Etihad and Emirates airlines are resuming flights to the United States, and UAE investments in the US economy, totaling $1.4 trillion, remain unchanged.

“Iran’s nuclear capabilities have been degraded. Its proxies have been weakened. More needs to be done to remove the missile and drone threats. And we are ready to join an international initiative to reopen the strait and keep it open. We aren’t asking the U.S. to carry the full burden. We are defending our people, protecting regional stability and global prosperity, and demonstrating that real alliances are built on cooperation and contribution, not dependency. We want Iran as a normal neighbor. It can be reclusive and even unwelcoming, but it can’t attack its neighbors, blockade international waters, or export extremism. Building a fence around the problem and wishing it goes away isn’t the answer. It would simply defer the next crisis,” he added.