Dubai-based billionaire furious at Trump for dragging Gulf states into Iran war, questions Peace Council funding

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, DUBAI — UAE billionaire Khalaf al-Habtoor accuses US President Donald Trump of dragging energy-rich Gulf partners into ‘danger’ by launching a war against Iran. The attack is clearly unwanted and betrays the American people by making war the main priority.

The open letter on X marks the most prominent public Gulf Arab condemnation of Trump since the war against Iran began on Saturday.

Habtoor is not a government official, but a Dubai-based billionaire who is close to the ruling circle. Public expression in the UAE, particularly at this level, is tightly controlled by the government.

Direct question: Who authorised you to drag our region into a war with #Iran? And on what basis are you making this dangerous decision? wrote Habtoor on X in a post addressed to ‘His Excellency President Donald Trump’.

‘Have you considered the damage caused before pulling the trigger? And do you consider that those who first suffer as a result of this escalation are the countries in the region itself!’

Habtoor presides over one of the UAE’s largest conglomerate networks, the Al Habtoor Group. The criticism is even more notable because the Emirati businessman has not previously been known to criticise Trump or his policies.