UAE withholds congratulations on US-Iran deal, citing lack of trust in Tehran

The United Arab Emirates did not congratulate the United States and Iran on the memorandum of understanding meant to end the war between them, because Emirati officials do not believe Tehran will honor the agreement to be signed, Kan News reported Monday evening. Most countries in the region and the Gulf did issue congratulations, but the UAE, which was hit hardest during the war, chose instead to release a statement stressing the importance of dialogue and diplomacy without explicitly welcoming the deal.

In its message, the UAE emphasized that full commitment to the agreement’s clauses is essential, wording that was aimed primarily at Iran. A former UAE government official told Kan News that this language reflected deep skepticism in Abu Dhabi about Tehran’s intentions. “Trust in Iran does not exist. It must provide strong and solid guarantees that it will not return to its old ways. The ball is now in Tehran’s court,” he said.

The report comes amid broader discussion of the emerging deal with Iran, including a related statement from a senior American official that an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon is not a condition of the nuclear agreement.