The United Arab Emirates has urged restraint in the crisis with Iran, warning that fresh fighting would deepen rather than resolve a confrontation that has already reshaped the Gulf this year. The message was delivered in Bahrain on Sunday 1 November at a Bahrain security forum.

Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, told the Manama Dialogue that his country hoped Qatar-led mediation could still produce a diplomatic breakthrough. He said the region did not want another round of confrontation.

Diplomacy urged over military action

Gargash said the crisis required wisdom and political tools above all else. He warned that military solutions would only complicate an already complicated situation and would not provide a quick exit. Aju Press reported the same message, quoting him as saying another war was not in the region's interest but that the UAE was prepared for worst-case scenarios.

He was candid about the distance between Washington and Tehran, saying that if their positions were not bridged, there would be cause to worry about the worst. Egypt's foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, told the same gathering that a second round of escalation would be more dangerous, more destructive and would lead nowhere.

Gulf states count the cost of war

According to the Associated Press report, the war that began on 28 February with joint strikes by the United States and Israel, followed by attacks by Iran on Gulf nations, had made 2026 a watershed year for the region. Before a ceasefire in April, the UAE faced more than 3,000 drone and ballistic missile attacks, most of which were intercepted, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Bahrain's foreign minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, said his country welcomed every effort to reduce tensions and create opportunities for dialogue.

Sources: Associated Press via Military.com; Aju Press.