Sunday, March, 1 2026 - The United Arab Emirates has warned Iran that it may adopt a more forceful military posture if missile and drone attacks on its territory continue, as tensions across the Gulf escalate.
Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem
Al-Hashimy, speaking to CNN’s Becky Anderson, said the UAE remains ready to
defend itself but hopes further escalation can be avoided.
“We are prepared to defend ourselves. We hope it doesn’t
come to it, but we’re not going to sit idly by as we continue to be recipients
of such a barrage of attacks,” Al-Hashimy said.
When asked whether the UAE could move into a more combative
role, she responded: “If it needs to come to that, it will come to that.”
She added that responsibility now rests with Tehran. “The
ball is in Iran’s court about how they want to deal with a neighborhood and a
neighbor that has traditionally been a very fair and good neighbor to them.”
The warning follows what Emirati officials described as one
of the largest direct attacks on the country in recent history. According to
the UAE Ministry of Defence, Iran fired at least 137 ballistic missiles and 209
drones toward the Emirates.
Authorities said the vast majority were intercepted by air
defense systems, although 14 drones reportedly made impact.
The unprecedented barrage targeted key urban centers,
including the capital Abu Dhabi and the commercial and tourism hub Dubai,
raising fears of broader regional spillover from the ongoing Israel–Iran
conflict.
The UAE, a key Gulf ally of the United States and a major
economic hub in the region, has so far framed its response as defensive.
However, the latest comments suggest patience may be thinning as hostilities
widen following US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.
Al-Hashimy stressed that the country’s defense systems
remain robust. “We have one of the best air-to-missile defense systems in the
world and we are doing everything to ensure that we are safe and secure,” she
said.
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