Iran’s recent attacks on Gulf states have taken the United Arab Emirates by surprise, with the country enduring an unprecedented wave of missile and drone strikes, according to UAE Minister for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy.
In an interview with ABC, she described Iran’s actions as “almost unhinged” and “irrational,” highlighting the unprecedented scale and targeting of civilians.
The strikes come amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran, which has rattled the region and disrupted global energy markets.
Analysts say Iran’s attacks on Gulf neighbors, including the UAE, appear aimed at pressuring U.S. President Donald Trump and testing alliances, particularly given that many Gulf nations host U.S. military bases. Despite this, the strategy has not succeeded in driving a wedge between Washington and its Gulf partners.
Al Hashimy stressed that the UAE’s concerns focus on Iran’s retaliatory measures rather than the origins of the conflict. “Independent of how this began, the retaliatory measures that Iran has taken to attack the Gulf states are really where the issue we have is,” she said.
She noted that Iranian strikes have targeted not just military installations but civilian infrastructure, including airports and oil tankers. “They are actually targeting civilian infrastructure as well, whether it’s an airport or it’s oil tankers. I think that’s a question that one must ask about why Iran is using this measure to fight through their grievances with the Israelis and with the Americans?”
Despite the attacks, Al Hashimy affirmed that the UAE’s strategic partnerships remain strong.
Asked whether the strikes might prompt a reconsideration of hosting U.S. bases, she said, “Quite the contrary. Our relationship with the US is a long-standing strategic partnership. It’s a partnership that doesn’t falter in moments of crisis, but has been built on decades of trust and mutual respect. We've been long-standing partners of the US, long-standing partners of Australia as well. And this doesn’t deter us, because we're also a resilient bunch, and we don't take to being bullied around, either.”
The U.S. maintains an air base roughly 30 kilometers from Abu Dhabi, which has been targeted in the Iranian attacks, prompting multiple international airlines to cancel flights to the city. Iran has claimed that U.S. use of UAE ports and jetties to launch operations justifies targeting them, warning civilians to evacuate these sites to avoid harm.
Experts warn that the attacks have already begun to affect the UAE’s reputation as a safe and stable destination, with potential consequences for tourism, real estate, and aviation. The government has cracked down on circulating rumors or unverified reports about the conflict, cautioning that dissemination of unofficial information could lead to arrest.
Iran’s ongoing aggression has effectively disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime corridor through which roughly 20% of global oil shipments pass.
Al Hashimy highlighted that the impact goes far beyond energy, affecting broader trade and supply chains. “It’s about almost everything, right, because the Strait of Hormuz is the pathway in which so much of global trade passes through, whether it’s cooking oil or it’s petrochemical or it’s manufactured products,” she said.
She added that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps appears to be leveraging the strikes to sow panic and destabilize Gulf economies, particularly the UAE.
“We are measured in our approach, and we’re not taken with hyperbole. We are very restrained and, you know, beyond the here and now, already thinking of ways to mitigate against that and are talking to our friends and partners, including Australia, about how we can ensure maritime freedoms. How do we ensure that humanitarian aid, all of these different mechanisms that use the Strait of Hormuz, are not hostage to hyperbole that’s coming from the IRGC?”
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