Their president said his country was at war but was fine and told its enemies it was not easy prey, in his first public comments since it fired missiles at its Gulf neighbor amid US-Israeli blows.
“The UAE has thick skin and bitter flesh – we are not easy prey,” said Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, who is also the ruler of Abu Dhabi, in comments he made yesterday, Friday, when he visited the wounded in the strikes, and which were broadcast today on Abu Dhabi TV. “We will do our duty to our country, our people and our residents, who are also part of our family,” he added.
The UAE, which consists of seven emirates, including Dubai, will protect everyone in the country, he stressed.
An Emirati official also stated today that the United Arab Emirates wants an immediate end to the Iranian attack against states that are not participating in the war.
“Any kind of escalation is worrisome. We want to limit war. We don’t want the war to spread. We want to start with the Iranians realizing that they are not helping themselves by attacking their entire neighborhood and to stop and realize that,” the official said.
Tehran: We have evidence that neighboring countries are in the service of the “enemy”
However, in Tehran, the head of Iran’s judiciary, Golamhossein Mohseni Ezei, said today that Iran has “evidence” that some countries in the region have “placed themselves at the disposal of the enemy” by allowing them to use their territories for attacks against Iran.
“Currently, the evidence available to the Iranian armed forces shows that the geography of some countries in the region has been, openly and covertly, placed at the disposal of the enemy and that, from these points, attacks are being carried out against our country,” said the official, a member of the triumvirate that ensures the transition of Iranian power after the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Meanwhile, Qatar said today it had intercepted a missile after AFP journalists heard explosions in Doha, the country’s capital.
“The armed forces intercepted a missile attack aimed at the State of Qatar,” the country’s defense minister said in a statement on X.
