UAE States It Does Not Need External Protection and Will Defend Its Sovereignty
Istanbul (ANTARA) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has stated that it does not seek protection from any external party and is capable of preventing aggression, while reaffirming its right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The statement was made by the UAE’s Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, during a BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi, India, on Friday (15/5).
According to the WAM news agency, Al Marar rejected accusations and criticisms from Iran directed at the UAE, as well as attempts to justify attacks targeting the UAE and other countries in the region.
He said that these actions violate the Charter of the United Nations (UN), international law, and the principles of good neighbourly relations. The UAE and Iran are both members of BRICS and attended the meeting in India.
Pressure and what he called malicious accusations will not change the UAE’s position or prevent it from protecting its national interests, he added.
Al Marar also stated that the UAE has intercepted nearly 3,000 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones since February 28, which marked the start of the US and Israel’s war against Iran by targeting civilian facilities and critical infrastructure, including airports, ports, and energy facilities.
He also accused Iran of disrupting maritime routes, including what he called the effective closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz, and described the use of these sea lanes as a tool of pressure as an “act of piracy”.
Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched attacks against Iran, triggering retaliatory attacks from Iran against Israel and US allies in the Gulf region, as well as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire came into effect on April 8 through mediation by Pakistan, but negotiations in Islamabad failed to produce a permanent agreement. US President Donald Trump then extended the ceasefire indefinitely.
Source: Anadolu