The United Arab Emirates has hit back at Tehran over threats made by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) following a peace agreement reached by the country with Israel.
The historic peace agreement brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump between Israel and the UAE was a “huge mistake,” Iran’s Rouhani said. He accused the UAE government of betraying “Muslims and the Arab world.”
The Emirates faces a “dangerous future” for making peace with the Jewish State, the IRGC, Iranian regime’s military arm and U.S.-designated terrorist group, warned. The peace deal with Israel “will turn this small, rich country, which is heavily dependent on security, into a legitimate and easy target,” Iranian regime-affiliated newspaper Kayhan threatened.
The government of UAE summoned the Iranian envoy to “protest against the threats contained in Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s speech regarding the UAE’s sovereign decisions,” country’s state-run media reported.
“The UAE affirmed its absolute rejection of the language of inflammatory speeches delivered by the Iranian authorities following the peace accord reached between the UAE, the United States and the State of Israel,” the UAE’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday, “considering this an interference in its internal affairs and an attack on its sovereignty, as opposed to the principles of international law governing relations between states, which is completely unacceptable.”
Saudi Arabia’s English language newspaper Arab News reported the UAE’s response:
The UAE summoned the Chargé d’Affairs at the Iranian embassy in Abu Dhabi on Sunday over threats made in response to a peace deal with Israel.The official was handed a “strongly worded memo” over threatening statements made by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani regarding the UAE’s agreement with Israel to normalize relations, the state WAM news agency reported.The Emirates’ foreign ministry said Rouhani’s statements were echoed by Iranian officials and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and that it considered this rhetoric “unacceptable and provocative.”The ministry added that these statements will have serious repercussions on security and stability in the Arabian Gulf.The UAE rejects the inflammatory language used by the Iranian authorities following the country’s agreement with Israel, and considers the offensive statements an “interference in internal affairs and an attack on sovereignty.” (…)GCC Secretary General Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajjraf also condemned the Iranian threats, saying they would have dangerous repercussions on the region.Al-Hajjraf said the GCC stands with the UAE against any threats to its sovereignty and security.
While Arab states, including Egypt, Jordan, and Oman, welcomed the restoration of diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel, Iran and Turkey joined the Palestinian leadership in denouncing the move. Turkish President threatened to suspend diplomatic ties with the Arab country, while PLO-controlled Palestinian Authority recalled its ambassador from Abu Dhabi.
Palestinian ‘worshipers’ on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount also fumed over the Trump-brokered peace deal on Friday, setting fire to the portraits of UAE crown prince Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed. Elsewhere, Palestinians burned posters of U.S. President Trump, UAE ruler and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Their rage was shared by some in the European political class. Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn criticized the UAE for ‘letting down’ the Palestinians. “[Y]ou can’t just let your own brothers down in order to pursue economic interests and perhaps also have more security for yourself,” he lamented. “One can see for quite some time that solidarity with the Palestinians is no longer a priority, especially in the Gulf.”
Germany’s state-run DW News was equally dismayed at the prospect of peace between the Jewish State and its Arab neighbors. “Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ assessment was spot on: The historic agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a “betrayal” of Palestinian interests,” the German broadcaster complained.
President Trump: Israel-UAE deal a ‘truly historic moment’
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