President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said the UAE had come through the crisis triggered by Iranian attacks with “strength, resilience and determination”, using a high-level meeting in Abu Dhabi to frame the country’s response as a test of state capacity, military readiness and social cohesion. The two leaders praised the armed forces, security services and civilian institutions for protecting the country’s security, territorial integrity and the safety of citizens and residents.
The remarks came as the UAE sought to project stability after more than five weeks of regional conflict that began on February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran after nuclear diplomacy stalled. Tehran responded with missile and drone strikes across the region, hitting Israel, US positions and Gulf infrastructure, with the UAE among the states most heavily exposed to the fallout. Reuters reported that the crisis disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a passage that normally carries about a fifth of global oil and liquefied gas supplies, sharpening the economic stakes for Gulf states and international markets alike.
Official and media accounts in the UAE have underlined both the scale of the attacks and the emphasis now being placed on recovery and deterrence. A UAE foreign ministry statement carried by local media said Iranian attacks on the country since February 28 had targeted infrastructure, energy facilities and civilian sites, causing deaths and injuries while prompting demands that Tehran be held accountable for damage and reparations. The National, citing official information, reported that UAE air defence systems intercepted hundreds of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones during the conflict, a sign both of the intensity of the assault and of the military effort required to contain it.
Saturday’s leadership meeting therefore served two purposes. Domestically, it reinforced a narrative of national solidarity at a time when public confidence is central to business continuity, investor sentiment and social calm. Politically, it signalled that the federation’s leadership wants the crisis remembered not simply as an episode of vulnerability, but as evidence that its institutions functioned under pressure. Gulf News and Khaleej Times, both carrying the official line, said the leaders credited the country’s ability to overcome the crisis to the effectiveness of its institutions and the unity and cohesion of society.
That messaging has been echoed by Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the President, who has argued that the war has strengthened, rather than shaken, the UAE’s strategic posture. Speaking earlier in Dubai, Gargash said freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz must be guaranteed in any settlement with Iran and warned that a ceasefire that leaves Tehran’s missile, drone and nuclear capabilities untouched would create a more dangerous Middle East. He also said the conflict had reinforced the UAE’s reliance on its alliance with Washington, suggesting that Iran’s strategy had backfired by pushing Gulf states closer to the United States on security.
Markets have shown some sign of that stabilisation narrative taking hold, though only cautiously. Reuters reported on April 10 that UAE equities gained as Washington and Tehran prepared for talks in Pakistan, with hopes that diplomacy could reduce risks to regional shipping and energy flows. That modest rebound reflects a broader truth confronting policymakers: even if missile launches stop, the economic aftershocks of a confrontation involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz do not vanish overnight. Ports, insurers, airlines, investors and commodity traders will continue to measure the risk of renewed disruption.
The ceasefire itself remains fragile. The UAE said this week it was seeking clarification on the terms of a 14-day truce announced by US President Donald Trump and wanted assurances of Iran’s full commitment to an immediate halt to hostilities and the complete reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Talks between US and Iranian delegations are expected in Islamabad, a process that could determine whether the region moves towards de-escalation or slips back into confrontation. For the UAE, the diplomacy matters not only because of national security, but because its economic model depends on being seen as a reliable hub for trade, finance, logistics and aviation even when the region is under strain.
The remarks came as the UAE sought to project stability after more than five weeks of regional conflict that began on February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran after nuclear diplomacy stalled. Tehran responded with missile and drone strikes across the region, hitting Israel, US positions and Gulf infrastructure, with the UAE among the states most heavily exposed to the fallout. Reuters reported that the crisis disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a passage that normally carries about a fifth of global oil and liquefied gas supplies, sharpening the economic stakes for Gulf states and international markets alike.
Official and media accounts in the UAE have underlined both the scale of the attacks and the emphasis now being placed on recovery and deterrence. A UAE foreign ministry statement carried by local media said Iranian attacks on the country since February 28 had targeted infrastructure, energy facilities and civilian sites, causing deaths and injuries while prompting demands that Tehran be held accountable for damage and reparations. The National, citing official information, reported that UAE air defence systems intercepted hundreds of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones during the conflict, a sign both of the intensity of the assault and of the military effort required to contain it.
Saturday’s leadership meeting therefore served two purposes. Domestically, it reinforced a narrative of national solidarity at a time when public confidence is central to business continuity, investor sentiment and social calm. Politically, it signalled that the federation’s leadership wants the crisis remembered not simply as an episode of vulnerability, but as evidence that its institutions functioned under pressure. Gulf News and Khaleej Times, both carrying the official line, said the leaders credited the country’s ability to overcome the crisis to the effectiveness of its institutions and the unity and cohesion of society.
That messaging has been echoed by Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the President, who has argued that the war has strengthened, rather than shaken, the UAE’s strategic posture. Speaking earlier in Dubai, Gargash said freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz must be guaranteed in any settlement with Iran and warned that a ceasefire that leaves Tehran’s missile, drone and nuclear capabilities untouched would create a more dangerous Middle East. He also said the conflict had reinforced the UAE’s reliance on its alliance with Washington, suggesting that Iran’s strategy had backfired by pushing Gulf states closer to the United States on security.
Markets have shown some sign of that stabilisation narrative taking hold, though only cautiously. Reuters reported on April 10 that UAE equities gained as Washington and Tehran prepared for talks in Pakistan, with hopes that diplomacy could reduce risks to regional shipping and energy flows. That modest rebound reflects a broader truth confronting policymakers: even if missile launches stop, the economic aftershocks of a confrontation involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz do not vanish overnight. Ports, insurers, airlines, investors and commodity traders will continue to measure the risk of renewed disruption.
The ceasefire itself remains fragile. The UAE said this week it was seeking clarification on the terms of a 14-day truce announced by US President Donald Trump and wanted assurances of Iran’s full commitment to an immediate halt to hostilities and the complete reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Talks between US and Iranian delegations are expected in Islamabad, a process that could determine whether the region moves towards de-escalation or slips back into confrontation. For the UAE, the diplomacy matters not only because of national security, but because its economic model depends on being seen as a reliable hub for trade, finance, logistics and aviation even when the region is under strain.
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UAE