Lead:
The United Arab Emirates has issued its strongest condemnation to date of renewed Iranian military aggression targeting fellow Gulf states Bahrain and Kuwait, involving ballistic missiles and armed drones. Kuwait separately denounced the strikes as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty. The attacks mark a significant escalation in regional security tensions and have prompted urgent diplomatic exchanges at the highest levels across Gulf capitals and beyond.
Details:
According to Al-Khaleej, the UAE condemned in the strongest possible terms the renewed Iranian aggressive attacks targeting the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Kuwait using missiles and drones. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed full solidarity with both nations, describing the strikes as a direct threat to regional stability and a violation of international law and the norms of good-neighbourly relations.
Al-Khaleej further reports that Kuwait issued a parallel condemnation on Sunday, characterizing Iran's pre-dawn strikes on Kuwaiti territory as a blatant violation of its sovereignty. Kuwaiti officials stated that the attacks represent a deliberate undermining of ongoing efforts to reach a final and lasting resolution to regional tensions, without specifying which diplomatic process was being referenced.
Alkhaleej and Newsd both report that, against this backdrop of escalating regional instability, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a telephone call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to discuss brotherly relations and regional developments. Separately, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan conducted telephone conversations with both Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty, covering bilateral relations and the broader regional situation. These contacts signal active Emirati diplomatic engagement across multiple fronts simultaneously.
On the Sudan file, Newsd reports that the UAE renewed its call during a UN Security Council briefing for an immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan, to ensure safe delivery of aid. Al-Khaleej additionally quotes UAE Presidential Diplomatic Adviser Dr. Anwar bin Mohamed Gargash, who stated that neither party to the Sudanese civil war will achieve military victory, and that a civilian political transition remains the only viable path to ending the conflict.
Watch For:
Whether Iran issues any formal justification for the strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait, and how the Gulf Cooperation Council responds collectively in the hours and days ahead.
Whether the intensified Emirati diplomatic outreach to Beirut and Cairo translates into a coordinated multilateral position on Iranian regional conduct.
Whether the UAE's renewed call for a Sudan ceasefire at the Security Council gains traction among permanent members, particularly given the council's historically divided positions on the Sudanese conflict.