An Iranian official has criticized the United Arab Emirates for welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and warned that the decision could have consequences. The remarks followed reports of Netanyahu’s visit to the Gulf state.
A pointed message from Tehran
Mohsen Rezaei, a senior Iranian political and security figure, said that hosting US military bases had not guaranteed the UAE’s safety and argued that receiving Netanyahu would not bring a favourable outcome. His comments were reported as a response to the Israeli leader’s presence in the country.
Regional context
The statement reflects the sharp divide over Israel’s war in Gaza and the UAE’s diplomatic relationship with Israel. The UAE and Israel normalized relations in 2020 under the Abraham Accords. Tehran has repeatedly condemned Israel’s military campaign and has criticized Arab governments that maintain or expand ties with Israel.
The warning is political rhetoric, not evidence of a specific announced Iranian operation. No details were provided about concrete measures. The episode nevertheless illustrates how Netanyahu’s visit became a regional diplomatic issue, testing the UAE’s effort to balance ties with Israel, relations with Washington and its position among Arab and Muslim publics.
