Gulf Security Forum: UAE warns military fixes complicate Iran crisis

More than 3,000 drone and ballistic missile attacks hit the United Arab Emirates in the months before April. These strikes, launched by Iran, targeted airports, military bases, and oil facilities. Most were intercepted, but the volume of fire made 2026 a defining year for the region, according to Anwar Gargash, a presidential adviser to the UAE. He spoke Sunday at the Manama Dialogue, an annual security summit in Bahrain.

Gargash told the audience that his country hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough. Qatar is currently mediating talks between the United States and Iran. The goal is to prevent a new round of confrontation. Gargash stated that military solutions will not provide a quick exit from the current situation. Instead, he argued, war only complicates an already complex scene. Political tools remain the primary option for the UAE.

The crisis began on Feb. 28 with joint strikes by the U.S. and Israel. Iran responded with attacks on Gulf nations. Since then, the region has spent billions of dollars to boost defense capabilities. Gargash acknowledged that the positions of the U.S. and Iran are far apart. He warned that if these positions are not bridged, the region must worry about the worst. He said it is not in the interest of the region or Iran to withstand another round of war.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is in Qatar for talks on a proposal that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Araghchi said in an interview that no direct talks are being held with the U.S. The final outcome depends on answers provided by Washington to Iranian questions. Araghchi said Iran hopes the U.S. chooses diplomacy over other paths. He added that Iran is ready for both defense and diplomacy, depending on Washington’s rationality.

Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, echoed the concern. Speaking a day before Gargash, Abdelatty said a second round of escalation would be more dangerous and destructive. He argued it would lead nowhere. Bahraini Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani also spoke at the forum. He said his country welcomes every effort to reduce tensions and prevent escalation. He described Iran’s actions as a pattern of attacks threatening regional stability.

Al Zayani noted that Iran targeted sea, air, and data facilities. He said these attacks continued even after the April ceasefire. As recently as last month, Iran threatened underwater data cables. Al Zayani included attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia in this pattern. He said the hands may change, but the approach does not. At the height of the war, Iran fired 500 drones and nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Bahrain. The strikes hit the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet base, residential buildings, the financial district, and a water desalination plant.

This summer, Houthi rebels escalated attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure and airports. They cited Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa airport as the reason. The Houthis have hit critical oil pipelines and disrupted air traffic in the kingdom. The lack of a coordinated defense response among the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council was a major topic at the forum. The GCC includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman.

During the war, Gulf nations responded to Iranian strikes at the national level. Each country worked with U.S. command and control centers. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, this approach at times hindered their overall defensive effort. Gargash offered a candid criticism of this dynamic. He said the region has not collectively risen to the challenge. Nationally, each state has responded, sometimes through bilateral cooperation. But in one of their most critical crises, the Gulf states have not acted as a unified group.