UAE Joins Saudis, Qatar in Urging Trump Not to Restart Iran War

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(Bloomberg) — The United Arab Emirates has made a more concerted push for an end to the Iran war in recent days, joining Saudi Arabia and Qatar in urging US President Donald Trump to give negotiations a chance, according to several people familiar with the matter.

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The conversations were prompted by the countries’ fears that any retaliation from Tehran, if hostilities resume, will plunge Gulf economies into chaos, the people said. In separate calls with Trump, leaders of the three US allies said military action won’t achieve America’s long-standing goals with Iran, the people said, asking not to be named discussing sensitive matters.

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The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Abu Dhabi’s stance indicates a shift for a country that bore the brunt of Iran’s attacks and has been more hawkish than its neighbors toward Tehran.

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The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar differ on the kind of diplomatic deal the US should pursue and how tough it should be with Iran, the people said. But their outreach to Trump underscores their shared wariness of a repeat of the situation between late February, when Israel and the US launched a war on the Islamic Republic, and a ceasefire in early April.

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Iran and Tehran-backed militant groups in Iraq retaliated by firing thousands of drones and missiles across the Gulf, killing scores of people and causing billions of dollars-worth of damage to ports and energy infrastructure.

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“The Gulf Arab states saw their worst fears come true,” said Dina Esfandiary, an analyst at Bloomberg Economics. “They were caught in the middle of a US-Iran war and suffered much of the fallout. They now face the prospect of renewed confrontation if the ceasefire can’t be translated into a permanent deal, with their image as stable regional havens at risk.”

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The UAE was frustrated when Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states refused to respond collectively with force against Iran to deter its attacks, Bloomberg News has reported. Abu Dhabi carried out limited strikes on Iran in coordination with the US and Israel, while Saudi Arabia took similar action separately, people familiar with the matter said.

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Iran and the US agreed to a truce on April 8 and are exchanging messages via Pakistan about a peace deal. Tehran and Washington have each said they’re ready to resume hostilities and are showing little sign of making concessions.

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Even so, Trump’s secretary of state, Marco Rubio, on Friday said there was “slight progress” toward a deal. Iranian media made similar comments.

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The UAE’s anger with fellow Arab states culminated in its shock decision in late April to leave OPEC, an oil cartel led by Saudi Arabia. Yet since then ties with Gulf Cooperation Council states have improved. The GCC is a six-member body comprising the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.

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“The UAE continues its close coordination and consultation with member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, alongside regional and international partners,” the foreign ministry said in a statement to Bloomberg on Thursday.