UAE official calls on Iran to rebuild trust with Gulf neighbours

Tehran must work to restore trust with Gulf states, which has been damaged by its decision to attack Qatar, the diplomatic adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed said on Saturday.

The missile attack came despite Gulf states' opposition to Israel's strikes on Iran and their efforts to de-escalate the situation, Dr Anwar Gargash said

Qatar said it repelled 19 missiles launched by Iran on Monday evening. Tehran said these were targeted at the Al Udeid airbase, which is used by American forces, as retaliation against the US for joining Israel's attacks on its nuclear sites.

“The Gulf states took a strong and influential stand against the Israeli war on Iran. They sought to de-escalate tensions in all international forums and called for a political resolution to outstanding issues, most notably the nuclear issue,” Dr Gargash said in a post on X.

“Despite this, Iran targeted the sovereignty of the sisterly state of Qatar, a targeting that affects us all.

“Today, as we turn the page on the war, Tehran remains called upon to restore trust with its Gulf neighbours, which was damaged by this aggression.”

The attack was strongly condemned by the UAE and other members of the GCC – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain – as well as other Arab states.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim described it as a flagrant breach of Qatar's sovereignty and airspace, and “inconsistent with the principle of good neighbourliness and the close relations between the two countries”, when Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian made a phone call to express his regret over the attack.

The attack disrupted air travel across the region as Qatar and some other Gulf states closed their airspace and flights were diverted.

In an interview with AFP published on Saturday, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said that as leaders were weighing their response to the attack, a call came from US President Donald Trump to Sheikh Tamim, saying “there is a possibility for regional stability … and that Israel has agreed to a ceasefire”.

“Qatar could have taken the decision to escalate,” Mr Al Ansari said. “But because there was a chance for peace … we opted for that.”

The ceasefire Mr Trump announced in the hours following the attack on Qatar has so far held.