ABU DHABI (Azat TV) – The United Arab Emirates has formally declared that any diplomatic settlement to the ongoing U.S.-Iran war must include ironclad guarantees for freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, emphasized that the waterway—a critical artery for one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied gas supply—cannot be utilized as a geopolitical bargaining chip by Tehran.
Securing the Hormuz Strait Against Weaponization
Gargash’s statement comes as the conflict enters its sixth week, following a series of intense U.S. and Israeli airstrikes aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear, missile, and drone infrastructure. The UAE official cautioned that a premature ceasefire that fails to address the root causes of regional instability would merely invite a more volatile environment. He specifically cited the continued threat posed by Iranian ballistic missiles and drone strikes, which have frequently targeted Emirati energy infrastructure and commercial centers.
Shifting Regional Security Alignments
The current hostilities have fundamentally altered the UAE’s security posture. While regional states previously sought to balance relations between Washington and Tehran to shield their economies from shocks, Gargash signaled a definitive pivot. He confirmed that the UAE intends to deepen its security cooperation with the United States, viewing the American military presence as an essential deterrent against Iranian aggression. The UAE remains particularly focused on bolstering its air-defense capabilities with international support, highlighting the role of partners such as France and the United States in protecting its critical facilities.
The Stakes of a Lasting Settlement
With U.S. President Donald Trump issuing a strict deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the pressure for a negotiated outcome has reached a critical juncture. Gargash maintained that the UAE does not seek open hostility with its neighbor, yet he argued that trust remains impossible under the current Iranian leadership, which he accused of prioritizing regime survival over national stability. As global energy markets remain constrained by the restricted traffic in the Gulf, the international community faces the challenge of securing a deal that ensures long-term maritime safety without leaving the underlying security threats unaddressed.
The insistence by the UAE on linking maritime security to broader nuclear and missile constraints reflects a strategic shift from regional de-escalation to the prioritization of permanent security architecture, signaling that the era of hedging between the U.S. and Iran in the Gulf has effectively concluded.