DUBAI (UAE) – The agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to normalise diplomatic ties was a “sovereign decision” that was not aimed at Iran, said UAE minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash on Monday.
On Sunday, the UAE said it had summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires in Abu Dhabi and handed over a “strongly worded memo”. This is in response to a speech by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, which ruffled the feathers of the UAE foreign ministry.
On Saturday, Rouhani said the UAE had made a “huge mistake” in forging a deal to normalise ties with Israel, terming it a betrayal by the Gulf state.
The deal brokered by the US is seen by experts as ramping up opposition to regional power Iran.
“The UAE-Israeli peace treaty is a sovereign decision not directed at Iran. We say this and repeat it. We do not accept interference in our decisions,” Gargash Tweeted.
Meanwhile, the secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council on Sunday slammed the “threats” by Rouhani towards the UAE.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field