UAE Lawmaker Sees Progress in U.S.-Iran Talks but Does Not Rule Out War

Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, who chairs the United Arab Emirates Federal National Council's Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed cautious optimism about U.S.-Iran negotiations in an interview published Saturday. He pointed to progress through Qatari mediation over the preceding days, while saying the possibility of another war remained open. Al Nuaimi called for the parties to build trust and reach a political solution. He paired that diplomatic preference with preparedness for threats to the UAE. “We plan for the worst,” he said. He also said a country facing attack has the right to defend its people, its sovereignty and the nation. Mohammed Baharoon, director general of the Emirati research center B'huth, addressed the region's security pressures in a separate interview in Dubai. He described resilience as part of deterrence, linking a country's ability to withstand disruption with its ability to discourage an adversary. Baharoon distinguished the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran from Iran's attacks on Gulf countries and the disruption of maritime shipping. He said national security also depends on dependable energy and food supplies, working infrastructure and continued international commerce. Al Nuaimi separately distinguished the Iranian people from their rulers, saying the people deserved respect, and described the UAE's U.S. partnership as extending beyond any single administration.