New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has strongly rejected allegations made by Iran accusing Abu Dhabi of being 'directly involved' in aggression against Tehran during the recent conflict in West Asia, asserting that such claims and 'malicious accusations' would neither undermine the country's 'principled positions' nor influence its sovereign decision-making.

The remarks were made by UAE Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar during the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting here, where he reaffirmed the UAE's categorical rejection of what he described as Iranian allegations and attempts to justify attacks targeting the UAE and other countries in the region.

In an official statement issued by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Al Marar said the UAE 'categorically rejects any allegations or threats targeting its sovereignty, national security, or independent decision-making' while reaffirming that the country reserves its 'full sovereign, legal, diplomatic, and military rights' to respond to threats or hostile acts.

'Attempts at coercion, levelling accusations, or promoting malicious claims will not undermine the UAE's principled positions nor deter the country from safeguarding its supreme national interests and upholding its sovereignty and independent decision-making,' the statement read.

The UAE further accused Iran of carrying out repeated attacks against the country since the start of the conflict on February 28, claiming that Emirati air defences had intercepted nearly 3,000 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones from Iran allegedly targeting civilian facilities and critical infrastructure, including airports, ports, oil facilities, desalination plants, energy networks and residential areas.

Al Marar said Iran had continued its attacks 'despite numerous international and regional condemnations', citing UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), resolutions adopted by the UN Human Rights Council, and decisions by international bodies including the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

According to the UAE statement, these resolutions reflected what it called a 'clear international consensus' rejecting attacks on state sovereignty and civilian infrastructure.

The UAE also accused Iran of obstructing international maritime routes, including the 'de facto closure' of the Strait of Hormuz, describing such actions as a threat to regional stability and global energy security.

'Targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents an act of piracy and constitutes a direct threat to the stability of the region, its peoples, and global energy security,' the statement added.

The statement further noted that the UAE 'does not seek protection from others' and remains capable of defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.

The strong response from Abu Dhabi comes after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the UAE of actively participating in aggression against Iran during remarks made during the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

'Your alliance with the Israelis did not protect you either, and you should reconsider your policy towards Iran. I did not mention the United Arab Emirates in my speech, for the sake of unity and I preferred not to mention it. But in fact, I must say that the UAE was directly involved in the act of aggression against my country,' Araghchi said.

He further alleged that the UAE had allowed its territory to be used for attacks against Iran.

'They allowed their territory to be used to fire artillery and equipment against us. Just yesterday it was revealed that Netanyahu had travelled to the Emirates and Abu Dhabi during the war. It was also revealed that they participated in these attacks and may have even acted directly against us. So the Emirates is an active partner in this aggression, and there is no doubt about it,' Araghchi stated.

Despite both countries being members of the BRICS grouping, the ongoing West Asia conflict has exposed deep divisions within the bloc, particularly between the UAE and Iran, who were in the middle of the whole crisis, over regional security, sovereignty, and geopolitical alignments, with tensions between Tehran and Abu Dhabi increasingly spilling into multilateral diplomatic platforms. (ANI)