UAE refutes Iranian allegations at BRICS meeting

The UAE has strongly rejected Iranian allegations and threats targeting its sovereignty and national security, reaffirming its right to respond to any hostile actions in line with international law.

The statement was delivered by Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar during the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi.

He affirmed the UAE’s categorical rejection of Tehran's attempts to justify the Iranian terrorist attacks that targeted the UAE and other countries in the region, in a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and the principles of good neighbourliness.

Al Marar stressed that attempts at coercion or promoting malicious claims will not undermine the UAE’s principled positions, nor deter the country from safeguarding its national interests and independent decision-making.

The minister said the UAE’s air defences have intercepted around 3,000 attacks involving ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones that deliberately and directly targeted civilian facilities and critical infrastructure.

He also pointed to multiple international resolutions condemning the attacks, saying there is broad global consensus in support of protecting state sovereignty and civilian infrastructure.

Al Marar highlighted that Iran has obstructed and disrupted international maritime routes, including the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategic waterways, in blatant violation of international law.

He emphasised that targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents an act of piracy and constitutes a direct threat to the stability of the region, its people and global energy security.

Al Marar noted that the UAE does not seek protection from others and is fully capable of deterring this unprovoked aggression, reaffirming that the country reserves its full and legitimate right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and ensure the protection of its people.

UAE Affirms Steadfast Position and Refutes Iranian Allegations in BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meetinghttps://t.co/bKXMsIpQoW pic.twitter.com/YCMEbGrH0x

— MoFA وزارة الخارجية (@mofauae) May 15, 2026