The United Arab Emirates’ minister of state said Sunday the country had been hit with over 2,800 missiles and drones in the first 40 days of the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, adding that more than 90% of the targets were civilian infrastructure.
Reem Al Hashimy, the UAE’s minister of state for international cooperation, said during a Sunday morning appearance on ABC’s “This Week” that Iran was seeking to destroy the UAE’s “model of prosperity and tolerance.
“We used our oil wealth to build an economic powerhouse. They used their wealth for nuclear programs that are nefarious, for missiles, drones, proxies, etc.,” she told host Jonathan Karl. “So whereas we tried to become and have become an international, global, responsible player, they are a pariah state. And they wanted to break that model, but they underestimated our resolve.”
The UAE has faced a barrage of attacks from Iran since the U.S. and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran in late February. While the Gulf state — like many of its neighbors — initially opposed the war, it has since shifted its tone as it considers how to avoid the breakout of a larger regional war.
Asked if she agreed with President Donald Trump’s assessment that there had been regime change in Iran, Al Hashimy expressed skepticism that Iran’s leadership had changed meaningfully.
“I know that personalities have changed. You have different characters that are currently in place,” she said “But how has that changed the character of the Revolutionary Guard? That’s yet to see — doesn’t seem very hopeful, though. Right now.”
Trump said Sunday morning that the U.S. would resume peace talks with Iranian officials in Pakistan on Monday after an initial round of negotiations failed to yield meaningful progress. Trump initially told Karl that Vice President JD Vance would not attend the second round of talks, but the White House later walked that back.
The president previously threatened to decimate Iranian civilian infrastructure and eliminate “a whole civilization” if Iran did not agree to open the Strait of Hormuz, sparking sharp recriminations from Democrats and human rights experts. Speaking to Karl on Sunday morning, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz insisted that “all options are on the table.”
Asked if she harbored concerns about Trump’s threats, Al Hashimy said the UAE believes that “maximum pressure” is necessary to move forward, while cautioning against civilian attacks.
“Ultimately, we don’t want to hurt the Iranian people. That’s very important to mention. But at the same time, it’s the Revolutionary Guard that have taken forward a military stance and a posture not against the U.S. and Israel alone, but against the very neighborhood that they operate in through the Gulf states.”
