A senior UAE official has warned Iran against overplaying its hand during its fragile ceasefire with the United States.
Speaking at the GLOBSEC Forum in Prague, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said Iranian officials have missed a lot of chances over the years “because there’s a tendency to overestimate their cards. I hope they don’t do that this time.”
Gargash believes that there is just a "50-50" chance that the US and Iran will reach an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the blockaded water body should go back to the status quo so that it is not placed under Iranian leverage.
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Warning against an inconclusive truce, he said, “Negotiations just to reach a ceasefire and sow the seeds for further conflict in the future is not what we’re seeking,” he said.
“The Iranian nuclear programme was our second or third worry, now it’s our first worry. We see that Iran is capable of using any weapon that it has in its hands, which is what we learned,” added Gargash.
According to UAE officials, around 3,300 Iranian drones and missiles targeted the UAE during the 40 days of war since February 28. These were not only aimed at the US military facilities hosted by the Emirates, but also the UAE's desalination plants, energy facilities and areas around Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Gargash also urged European nations to view the conflict as directly linked to their energy security and trade interests as the Strait of Hormuz carries a fifth of global oil production.
Changes to the status quo in the strait would have serious global repercussions, including for Europe, he said, urging European countries to view the issue as directly linked to their energy security and trade interests.