The rulers of the UAE and Qatar spoke by phone Saturday as Iranian missiles struck territory across the Gulf, with both leaders aligning on a shared condemnation of the attacks and calling for an immediate de-escalation.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani used the call to address the security implications of the widening conflict, which has drawn in multiple countries across the region following US and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier in the day.
The two heads of state characterized Iran’s retaliatory strikes — which targeted the UAE, Qatar, and several other nations — as a serious breach of international law and a direct violation of the United Nations Charter. Both condemned what they described as blatant attacks on sovereign territory, warning that such actions posed a direct threat to regional stability.
The conversation covered not only the immediate security fallout but also the broader consequences the escalation carries for international peace. The UAE and Qatar have both seen their airspace closed and civilian aviation severely disrupted as a result of the hostilities, with missile interceptions reported over Gulf cities including Abu Dhabi and Doha.
The two leaders agreed that a return to dialogue and diplomatic engagement was essential to preventing the situation from deteriorating further, calling for all parties to halt escalatory measures without delay.
