UAE Says Doesn’t Support Ani-Iran Axis, Working to Send Envoy to Tehran

“Our conversation is ongoing … we are in the process of sending an ambassador to Tehran. All these areas of rebuilding bridges are ongoing,” UAE Presidential Diplomatic Adviser Anwar Gargash told reporters ahead of a visit to Paris by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

Asked about talk of an anti-Iran alliance to counter Tehran’s regional activities, Gargash said a Middle East NATO was a “theoretical” concept and that for Abu Dhabi confrontation was not an option.

“We are open to cooperation, but not cooperation targeting any other country in the region and I specifically mention Iran,” he said.

“The UAE is not going to be a party to any group of countries that sees confrontation as a direction, but we do have serious issues with Iran with its regional politics.”

Commenting on a so-called security alliance with the Zionist entity that would connect air defense systems to combat missile attacks, he said the UAE could be part of anything that protects the country from drones and missiles as long as it did not target a third country.

“We have an open eye. We are very clear if something is defending the UAE and its civilians, of course we are open to these ideas, but not to the idea of creating any axes against this or that country,” he said.