UAE Foreign Minister: Iran is the Main Obstacle to Peace in the Arab World

The Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates stated that Iran's 'hostile expansionist policy' is the 'main' barrier to resolving all crises in the Arab world and the 'main obstacle to peace' among Arabs. He also added that the Islamic Republic of Iran has violated 'both the text and spirit' of the JCPOA. According to the Associated Press, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan made these remarks during the 72nd annual session of the United Nations General Assembly. In this report, bin Zayed accused Iran of 'interference' in the internal affairs of other countries and supporting groups that promote 'terrorism.' He stated that Iran supports the Houthi rebels in Yemen and the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, which is alongside supporters of Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war. The UAE Foreign Minister also accused Iran of supporting 'terrorist' groups in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Bin Zayed further accused Iran of blatant violations of sovereignty principles and of 'exploiting' the crises in the Arab world to weaken 'regional security' by 'fueling conflicts.' This senior Emirati official told Iranian officials that they should understand that the best policy is 'coordination' with the Gulf states and respect for the sovereignty of regional countries. He stated at the UN annual meeting that we have no option but to stand against 'terrorism and criminals.' Reuters also reported that bin Zayed accused Iran of 'violating the text and spirit' of the nuclear agreement, the JCPOA. He said, 'Two years have passed since the Iran nuclear agreement, and there is no sign of a change in Iran's hostile behavior. Iran continues to develop its nuclear program and violates the text and spirit of the agreement.' On September 10, the Deputy for International Affairs and Schools Abroad of Iran's Ministry of Education reported issues with Iranian public schools in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the UAE. Ali Hosseini announced the closure of an Iranian school in the UAE, stating that Emirati officials had halted the school's activities under the pretext of 'construction violations.' This Iranian education official claimed that Iranian schools have been operating in the UAE for over 20 years, and the reason for the school's closure by Emirati officials was 'political.' Iran and the UAE, in addition to their dispute over the ownership of the three islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa in the Persian Gulf, have recently found themselves on opposing sides regarding various regional issues, including developments in Syria and Yemen and Iran's relations with Saudi Arabia. The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt, severed all relations with Qatar in June due to what they called support for 'extremism' and close ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Meanwhile, on Saturday, Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, described the accusation of Iran's support for terrorist groups as ridiculous, saying, 'They are trying to change world public opinion with these nonsense claims.' Ali Larijani called the President of the United States 'ignorant' and stated, 'I find the words of the President of the United States so empty that there is no need to say much about them.' The Islamic Republic of Iran has made similar accusations against the United States and its regional allies regarding 'support for terrorism.' In this context, fears of 'cyber attacks' among Gulf countries are rising, while Yemeni rebels have threatened to launch missiles at the UAE. There is also an increase in pressure and 'arrests of clerics and intellectuals' in Saudi Arabia, as well as a changing battlefield for 'proxy wars' against the people in the streets of Iran.