TUNIS, March 8. /TASS/. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) doesn’t want to be dragged into any conflicts or escalation, but reserves the right to take measure to defend its sovereignty, the UAE foreign ministry said.
"The United Arab Emirates reaffirms that it is acting in self-defense against the brutal and unjustified Iranian aggression, which included the launch of more than 1,400 ballistic missiles and drones targeting infrastructure and civilian cites, resulting in civilian casualties. This constitutes a grave violation of international law and the UN Charter, an infringement upon the UAE’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a direct threat to its security and stability," the ministry said in a statement.
According to the ministry, the UAE "doe not seek to be drawn into any conflict," but "'reserves full right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, national security and territorial integrity."
On February 28, the US and Israel launched a military operation against Iran. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were hit. The White House justified the attack by citing missile and nuclear threats allegedly emanating from Tehran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced a large-scale retaliatory operation, attacking facilities in Israel. US targets in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia were also hit. The strikes on Iran killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other key figures in the Islamic Republic's leadership.