Latest news with #Gargash
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘An attack that affects us all': UAE diplomat calls on Iran to rebuild 'damaged trust' with Gulf countries
UAE advisor Anwar Gargash called Iran's missile strike on Qatar a violation that affects the entire Gulf and urged Tehran to restore damaged trust/ Image: X@mofauae UAE Presidential Advisor Dr. Anwar Gargash has publicly called on Iran to take urgent steps to rebuild trust with Gulf nations, following Tehran's missile attack on the Al Udeid U.S. military base in Qatar. His remarks, delivered via a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, come in the aftermath of regional tensions linked to Iran's response to U.S. and Israeli military actions. Gargash, who serves as diplomatic advisor to the President of the United Arab Emirates, said that Gulf countries had deliberately pursued a de-escalatory approach to the Israel-Iran war, seeking to resolve differences, particularly surrounding Iran's nuclear program, through diplomacy and multilateral engagement. However, he said Iran's decision to target Qatar, a fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) state, had undermined those efforts and harmed collective regional confidence. 'The nations in the region had taken a stance against the Israeli war on Iran, working through all international platforms to de-escalate the situation and calling for a resolution of outstanding issues, chief among them the nuclear file, through political means,' Gargash stated. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Jolie-Pitt Family Shows Support For Shiloh's Change Drivepedia Undo Despite these efforts, Gargash emphasized that Iran had crossed a line by launching a missile strike at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, an act he said threatens all GCC states, not just its immediate target. 'Iran targeted the sovereignty of the brotherly State of Qatar, an act that affects us all,' he said. 'The Gulf states took a strong and impactful stance against the Israeli war on Iran. Today, as we turn the page on the war, Tehran remains required to rebuild trust with its Gulf neighbors, having damaged it through this aggression.' Qatar Condemns Attack, Says Right to Respond Reserved On June 23, Iran launched missiles toward the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which houses the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East. The attack followed U.S. strikes the day before, as part of coordinated military action. Qatari officials stated that the attack was successfully intercepted, with no casualties or injuries reported. In a formal response, Qatar condemned the missile strike as a 'flagrant violation' of its sovereignty and said it 'reserved the right to respond.' A U.S. official also confirmed that there were no casualties at the base. U.S. Strike: Operation 'Midnight Hammer' The Iranian missile launch came in response to a U.S. military operation carried out on June 22, code-named 'Operation Midnight Hammer.' As part of this operation, B-2 stealth bombers dropped more than a dozen bunker-buster bombs on Iran's nuclear facilities at Fordow and Natanz, while Tomahawk cruise missiles struck the Isfahan site. These U.S. military actions took place after the United States joined Israel's campaign during what has been referred to as the 12-Day War, a recent period of heightened hostilities between Iran and Israel. Trump Reacts to Iran's Strike U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed the Iranian strike as 'very weak.' He said Iran had given 'early notice' of the attack and thanked the Islamic Republic for the advance warning, which he said 'made it possible for no lives to be lost, nobody to be injured.' Trump added, 'Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same,' he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Shafaq News
23-06-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
UAE slams Israeli aid request over Iran war
Shafaq News/ Israel has requested financial assistance from Gulf and European countries to support its war against Iran, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed, revealed Monday. In a post on X, Gargash criticized what he described as the 'audacity' of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who had approached the Gulf States along with Germany, France, and the United Kingdom seeking contributions to fund Israel's military campaign, characterizing the request as emblematic of 'moral bankruptcy.' بلغت وقاحة وزير المالية الإسرائيلي سموتريش حدّ الدعوة لتمويل خليجي (وألماني وفرنسي وبريطاني) لحرب إسرائيل على إيران. دول الخليج أدانت الهجوم ودعت للحل الدبلوماسي حرصًا على استقرار المنطقة وشعوبها.مثل هذا الطرح ليس إلا إفلاسًا أخلاقيًا من متطرف لا يدرك عواقب التصعيد. — د. أنور قرقاش (@AnwarGargash) June 23, 2025 Condemning the ongoing hostilities, Gargash pushed for a diplomatic solution, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding regional stability and protecting civilian lives. Despite normalizing ties with Israel through the Abraham Accords in September 2020, the United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned Israel's recent military actions against Iran, calling them a ''violation of international law.'' Beyond formal diplomacy, Abu Dhabi and Tehran maintain significant economic and demographic connections, with trade between the UAE and Iran reaching about $6.23 billion in 2024.
TAG 91.1
23-06-2025
- Politics
- TAG 91.1
Gargash slams Israeli official for calling on Gulf to fund war with Iran
The diplomatic advisor to the UAE President, Anwar Gargash, on Monday lambasted Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for calling on Gulf states to fund Israel's war on Iran. Posting on social media, Gargash said: "Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich's brazenness reached the point of calling for Gulf (and German, French, and British) funding for Israel's war on Iran." "Such a proposal is nothing but the moral bankruptcy of an extremist who does not understand the consequences of escalation," he added. Gargash also stressed the Gulf's repeated condemnation of the attack and calls for a diplomatic solution. Smotrich, alongside Israel's National Security Minster Itamar Ben-Gvir, were subject to rare sanctions by the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Norway earlier this month. The two hardline officials were accused of instigating settler expansion and violence in the occupied West Bank. The move by the five countries was welcomed by the Arab League, which includes the UAE, saying the move is a step towards accountability for "instigated violence" and "contributing to settler attacks on Palestinians".
Egypt Independent
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Trump's Gulf Arab allies race to avoid all-out war in Iran
CNN — Fearing the repercussions of a total regime collapse in Iran, Gulf Arab states have intensified their outreach to the Trump administration and Tehran over the past week. The United Arab Emirates, a US ally that has long been opposed to an unsupervised Iran nuclear program, has been in contact with officials in Tehran and Washington to avoid further escalation, according to a top official, amid fears that instability in Iran could affect the region. 'We're following the situation very closely… our diplomacy is working hard like many other countries,' Anwar Gargash, adviser to the UAE president, said on Friday. 'Concerns have to be resolved diplomatically… there are many issues in the region (and) if we choose to tackle everything with a hammer, nothing will be left unbroken.' Israel began an unprecedented attack on Iran last week, killing its top military brass as well as several nuclear scientists and destroyed part of its nuclear program. Iran has responded with a barrage of missile strikes on Israeli cities. Gargash, who delivered a letter from US President Donald Trump to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in March calling for nuclear talks, said any military escalation to the conflict will be 'detrimental' for the whole region. 'This is setting us back. The language of conflict is overpowering the new language of de-escalation and economic prosperity for the region,' Gargash said. Across the Gulf, growing anxiety about the conflict is driving efforts to prevent further escalation. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke with Trump and called for a de-escalation hours after Israel struck Iran on June 13. The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, also spoke to the president and called for the crisis to be resolved 'through diplomatic means.' 'We have been making all the possible communication between all the parties regionally and abroad. These talks between us have been about finding a way out of the rabbit hole when it comes to this escalation,' the Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said Tuesday. Last month, Trump was feted with grand welcomes and trillion-dollar deals when he visited three Gulf Arab nations for the first presidential visit of his second term. At the time, Trump praised the 'birth of a modern Middle East' and signaled his intent to sign a deal with Iran to prevent it from building a nuclear bomb. US President Donald Trump is greeted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he arrives at King Khalid International Airport on May 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi after Israel struck and killed Iran's military leadership and nuclear scientists, Trump shifted his rhetoric, teasing a possible US military intervention on Iran. The president's threats have his Arab allies worried and fearing Iranian reprisal attacks against the US on their soil, where the US has a significant military presence. Major exporters of energy, the Gulf states also fear that Iran may shut the Strait of Hormuz on its southern shore, through which a third of seaborne oil passes. Nightmare scenario Gulf Arab states, long critical of Iran's nuclear ambitions and its support for proxy militias across the Middle East, have in recent years softened their stance toward Tehran, pivoting toward diplomacy and rapprochement to avoid conflict. Experts warn that a US attack on Iran could draw it into a quagmire even more challenging than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – a drawn-out confrontation that could last the duration of Trump's presidency and exact a heavy toll on American lives and resources at Israel's behest. 'Iran is large and could be fractured and divided along ethnic lines, (and it) has a considerable stockpile of missiles, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)… that essentially could fall out of central state control,' Hasan Alhasan, senior fellow for Middle East policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Bahrain, told CNN. 'I don't think anyone wants to see Iran slide to chaos, I think there is a broader desire and preference to deal with one bad actor rather than multiple bad actors,' he said. Firas Maksad, managing director for the Middle East at Eurasia Group, told CNN that Gulf Arab states are in a comfortable position seeing Iran weakened, but would much rather prefer diplomacy to avoid instability in the region. 'If there is in fact a diplomatic breakthrough… where Iran's nuclear ambitions towards a nuclear weapon at least are capped, Iran is much weakened and stability returns, that's a very positive outcome for (Gulf states),' he said. 'I would have to say, though, that the concern is that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu drags the region and drags President Trump into further escalation by perhaps taking out Iran's ability to export oil,' he added. 'That might then take us in a much more negative direction in terms of blowback against Gulf (oil) facilities.' Trump's announcement on Thursday of a two-week diplomatic window now offers his Gulf Arab allies breathing space to push for de-escalation, following a week of unprecedented regional clashes that left the Middle East rattled and on edge.
Iraqi News
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
UAE issues warning over Iran-Israel war
Abu Dhabi – A senior United Arab Emirates official has urged a quick end to the Iran-Israel war, warning of a 'difficult aftermath' if the conflict is prolonged. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the oil-rich UAE's President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said the war was 'setting back' the wealthy Gulf region. 'The longer a war takes, the more dangerous it becomes,' he told journalists in a briefing on Friday. 'I think any extended confrontation or war between Israel and Iran will only bring a very difficult aftermath.' US President Donald Trump has given Iran a 'maximum' of two weeks to negotiate before possible US air strikes, but Tehran said it would not hold talks while under attack. 'De-escalation is extremely important,' Gargash said. 'We still feel that there is a path back to negotiations on these issues.' The Middle East is still dealing with the repercussions of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, which toppled Saddam Hussein but left the country divided and destabilised. One major risk of the current war is disruption to the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, which carries one-fifth of global oil output. 'This war flies in the face of the regional order the Gulf countries want to build, which is focused on regional prosperity,' Gargash said. 'We feel that this is setting us back, not only us in the UAE, but I would say the region.'
