• Iranian foreign minister says US attacks on Kharg Island, Abu Musa Island 'fired from the UAE'

ISTANBUL

A senior diplomatic adviser to United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said Saturday that accusations by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi about attacks on Iran were launched from UAE territory reflect “confused policy.”

Anwar Gargash said in a statement on US social media company X that the accusations came after “1,909 brutal Iranian attacks” against the UAE. He said Tehran’s actions are part of a “confused policy” and had “misidentified the target, lost the compass, and abandoned wisdom.”

He stressed that the UAE has the right to defend itself against “terrorist aggression," but said the country continues to exercise restraint and prioritize reason and diplomacy while seeking an exit for Iran and the region from the current escalation.

Gargash said Araghchi’s justification “condemns his own country, deepens its isolation, and exposes its aggression.” He added that Iran’s top diplomat is aware that the UAE had made sincere mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran until the last moment to avoid war.

Araghchi claimed earlier in an interview with MS Now TV that the US’ Friday night attacks on Kharg Island and Abu Musa Island were launched “from the soil of our neighbors.”

“These last night attacks were tracked by our forces, and now it is clear that they were fired from the UAE. This is unacceptable," he said.

President Donald Trump said Friday that the US destroyed all military targets on Kharg Island and threatened to attack the island’s oil infrastructure if Iran continued to block ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Kharg Island is Iran’s main oil export hub, handling 90% - 95% of the country’s crude exports, with 1.7 million barrels per day last year. The island serves as a key component of Iran’s energy system and a vital source of government revenue.

Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz since March 1, following the launch of joint attacks by Israel and the US against Iran on Feb. 28, which have so far killed around 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hostilities have since escalated.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are targeting “US military assets.”