ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The UAE is open to restoring trust with Iran that has been broken by Tehran’s actions, and favours a return to diplomacy to resolve disputes, but it will take a long time for ties to get back on track, said Presidential Adviser Dr Anwar Gargash at a forum on Monday.
“Rebuilding trust will be a mountain to climb,” he said in a speech at the Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi, while calling on Iran to guarantee that it would not attack Gulf states. Gargash said freedom of navigation “must not be subject to coercion”, referring to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, the critical regional waterway that has been blockaded by Tehran. The strait must remain an international waterway, the Presidential Adviser reiterated during his speech.
Despite the crisis, Gargash said: “Geography leaves us no alternative to engagement with Iran.” He reminded that Iran has launched some 3,300 missiles and drones at the UAE. "The vast majority of these attacks were targeted at civilian infrastructure and were indiscriminate,” he told the forum.
The UAE, meanwhile, is building alternative routes for its energy exports and trade to ensure they are not "held hostage" by the US-Iran war. "Our energy exports will not be held hostage, nor will our trade and economic activity," Gargash added.