Iran Signals the UAE Is No Longer Neutral

Iran is sharpening its rhetoric toward the United Arab Emirates, signaling that Abu Dhabi is no longer being treated as a cautious neighbour but as a country increasingly aligned with Iran’s adversaries.

The shift has become one of the clearest signs of how the regional fallout from the US-Israel war is redrawing political lines across the Gulf.

“Our label of ‘neighbours’ with the Emirates has for now been lifted, and the label of ‘hostile base’ has been set for the country,” Ali Khezrian, a member of the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, said on state television this week.

That language marks a notable escalation. For years, Tehran and Abu Dhabi maintained a complicated but pragmatic relationship, balancing commercial interdependence with deep strategic mistrust. Now, Iranian officials are openly questioning whether the UAE should still be regarded as neutral.

The warning was reinforced by the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the coordinating command led by senior officers from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

In a statement addressed directly to Emirati leaders, the command said they must not turn their country into “the den of Americans and Zionists and their military forces and equipment to betray the world of Islam and Muslims”.

It also warned of a “crushing and regret-inducing response” if further attacks are launched against Iran’s southern ports and islands.

At the center of Tehran’s concerns is the UAE’s expanding military and intelligence relationship with both the United States and Israel.

The US has long maintained a substantial presence at Al Dhafra Air Base, which hosts thousands of American personnel and advanced surveillance and defense systems.

Since the signing of the Abraham Accords, military and intelligence cooperation between Israel and the UAE has expanded rapidly.

During the current war, Israel reportedly transferred Iron Dome missile defense batteries and operating personnel to the UAE — a deployment that would underscore how closely the two countries now coordinate on security.

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee described the move as a product of “an extraordinary relationship between the UAE and Israel based on the Abraham Accords”.

From Tehran’s perspective, this cooperation turns the UAE from a commercial partner into a potential staging ground for hostile action.

The concern is especially acute around Port of Fujairah, one of the world’s most important energy hubs. Iranian officials have argued that vessels entering and leaving the port pass through waters over which Iran claims maritime control, effectively suggesting that this critical shipping route falls within its sphere of influence.

The economic consequences are significant.

For years, the UAE served as one of Iran’s main gateways to global trade, with goods from countries such as China often routed through Emirati ports before entering Iran.

As relations deteriorate, Iranian businesses are losing access to that infrastructure. Emirati authorities have reportedly tightened restrictions on Iranian visa holders, businesses, trade channels, and currency networks.

Tehran is now trying to reroute imports over land through Pakistan, Iraq, and Türkiye, a costly adjustment at a time when sanctions and war have already pushed food prices sharply higher.

The UAE, for its part, says its defense partnerships are a sovereign matter and rejects Iranian claims that its territory is being used to facilitate attacks.

That position reflects a broader Gulf calculation: closer ties with Washington and Israel are seen as a security hedge against a more confrontational Iran.

What makes the current moment different is how explicitly Tehran is naming the UAE as part of the problem.