Tehran must halt attacks on its neighbours, before they can meditate, a top diplomat from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has said, asserting that the United States President Donald Trump will bring about a diplomatic conclusion (to the war) “in its own time, reported Reuters.
The comments were made by Lana Nusseibah, a former ambassador from UAE to the United Nations. She is presently holding the rank of a minister in the foreign ministry of the Emirates.
Nusseibah has expressed confidence that the war would end in a “negotiated settlement”, but has said that Iran's neighbours were shocked that such attacks have been unleashed against them.
"Ultimately, it will be a diplomatic solution, but there needs to be that tipping point moment, and I think that President Trump will lead us all to that moment in his time," Nusseibeh said in an interview.
She was asked about the efforts to mediate during her interview, to which she asserted that Iran must halt its attacks (on the neighbouring countries) first.
“It is difficult to talk about mediation when under attack. Mediation can only happen when guns go silent,” Nusseibah has said.
UAE, along with other Gulf countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have consistently been attacked by Iranian drones and missiles.
Also Read: Drone Strike Triggers Blaze At UAE's Ruwais Industrial Complex As Iran Attacks Intensify
Vital installations like airports, residential areas, refineries, desalination plants, and US assets have come under attack, killing dozens of people and rattling businesses in these countries.
The airspace of these countries has been affected by the Iranian attacks, while they run low on food and other essentials. Energy companies in these countries have enforced force majeure in the wake of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian authorities.
Nusseibah maintained that she was given no indication by the Iranian authorities about the UAE being a target when she visited Tehran for talks, aimed at finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis, just two weeks ahead of the war.
“The lack of a warning from Iran has made these attacks all the more shocking and so egregious,” she said, adding that it would be hard to restore relations with Iran to pre-war status given the destruction and the chaos “Iran has inflicted on the region”.
She asserted that her country was in constant touch with the Trump administration and praised it as a strong strategic partner.
Nusseibah, in her interview, did not criticise the US or Israel for launching attacks against Iran, maintaining that their military campaign should be viewed separately from what she called Iran's “egregious illegal and unlawful attacks on Gulf countries.”
Nusseibah alleged that Iran was trying to attack the UAE's economic model, which has also attracted 700,000 Iranians to live there. “The attacks, however, have shown that our economy is strong and robust and resilient.”
"People are back at work, our airports are open, and flights are taking off. It's the Iranian economy that was already strangled by sanctions and economic pressure that is going into freefall. It's their currency that's going into freefall," she said.
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