UAE says rebuilding trust with Iran will take "ages"

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UAE says rebuilding trust with Iran will take “ages and ages”

April 25, 2026

DUBAI,— Trust between Abu Dhabi and Tehran will take “ages and ages,” UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said Friday, following Iranian strikes on the United Arab Emirates during the Middle East conflict.

“You cannot face 2,800 missiles and drones and then speak to me about trust,” Gargash said at the World Policy Conference in Chantilly, north of Paris.

He said 89 percent of the attacks were aimed at civilians, civilian infrastructure, and energy infrastructure.

“Tehran told Arab Gulf states they did not matter in its calculations, a message he said would have long-term consequences,” he said.

He added the UAE and other regional countries would regard Iran as a strategic security threat.

Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran in late February 2026 triggered wider regional conflict, with Tehran targeting U.S. allies in the Gulf.

Iran launched thousands of missile and drone attacks across Gulf states, striking airports, seaports, hotels, residential areas, and oil facilities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, according to the report.

A ceasefire was agreed at the start of the month, but peace talks in Pakistan have stalled in recent days.

Since the truce, the United States and Iran have shifted focus to the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

Sultan Al Jaber, chief executive of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, said the Strait of Hormuz has never belonged to Iran and cannot be closed or restricted.

Iran has nearly closed the passage in response to the war, while the United States has imposed restrictions on Iranian ports.

Gargash said earlier this month that Israeli influence in the Gulf would likely increase due to Iran’s regional strategy.

Officials in Abu Dhabi continue to assess regional security dynamics following the conflict and recent diplomatic developments involving Iran the United States and Gulf partners across energy and maritime routes.

The situation remains linked to tensions around missile exchanges maritime security in the Gulf and broader regional political alignments.

(With files from AFP)