Another round? UAE says it’s not in West Asia’s interest as Trump renews Iran threats

Manama, November 1 — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is hopeful for a diplomatic breakthrough in the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States, according to a senior UAE official who spoke during a conference in Manama. Speaking about the possibility of another round of conflict in the Middle East, the UAE's diplomatic adviser to the Emirati president, Anwar Gargash, affirmed that it was "not in the interest of the region to go through another round."

Nonetheless, the UAE is prepared for the worst, demonstrating its readiness in the face of Iran's retaliatory actions against the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Following a recent visit by a Qatari delegation to Tehran, Iran has dispatched envoys to the Gulf nation to continue consultations as part of indirect negotiations with the United States aimed at ending the war.

However, US President Donald Trump has reiterated his threats on Saturday, stating that the US still needs to "take care of" one or two targets in Iran. At the Manama conference on Sunday, US Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Donald Blome reinforced the hand of negotiation being extended and the channels of communication continuing to remain open and active.

He also highlighted the US's readiness to take another direction if needed. On Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that President Trump has not yet made a decision about fresh strikes on Iran and that the US remains open to a diplomatic resolution. The conflict escalated on February 28, with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which subsequently retaliated by targeting various entities, including Gulf countries allied with Washington.