Your war is not with neighbours: UAE President warns Iran

The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has sharply criticised Iran’s recent missile attacks on UAE territory and called on Tehran to “go back to your senses,” emphasising that Iran’s conflict is not with its neighbouring states.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, made the remarks amid escalating regional hostilities triggered by a broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. He said Iran’s decision to target Gulf states — including the UAE — had isolated Tehran at a critical juncture, and warned that the country must engage rationally with its neighbours before the cycle of escalation enlarges further. “Your war is not with your neighbours… deal with your neighbours rationally and responsibly before the circle of isolation and escalation widens,” Gargash stated, according to reports.
The UAE leadership has rejected Tehran’s justification that its actions represent self-defence, describing them instead as a violation of sovereignty and a dangerous escalation that threatens regional security. Gulf governments, including the UAE, had previously urged diplomacy between Washington and Tehran to prevent a wider conflict. The comments come as Iran carries out retaliatory strikes following a joint US–Israeli military operation that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran. In response, Iran launched missile and drone attacks across the region, including on Gulf states where US military assets are stationed, prompting defensive measures such as the interception of multiple waves of Iranian missiles in UAE airspace.