Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, said on Friday that renewed military confrontation between the United States and Iran would add layers of complexity to an already tense regional situation.
Gargash highlighted the potential consequences if Iran were to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz, saying such a development would "set a serious precedent and become politicized." He warned that any alteration to the status of the strait would carry ‘‘serious complications extending to Europe," and urged European states to treat the issue as directly connected to their own energy and trade interests rather than a remote problem.
On diplomatic approaches, Gargash said the UAE prefers a political solution but cautioned that political settlements could themselves introduce fresh complications across the region. He noted that a European initiative concerning Hormuz is intended to be activated only after hostilities cease, though he said it is unclear what specific outcomes that initiative would produce.
Gargash also addressed the UAE’s decision to leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. He said the move had been considered for three years and framed it in terms of the changing role of hydrocarbons. "We see we are close to the autumn of the hydrocarbon age and as a result if you have the ability to produce and generate income and use it then that’s what you should do," he said, adding that the UAE was losing production capacity under OPEC constraints.
Turning to security priorities, Gargash elevated concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, saying it has moved to the UAE’s foremost worry after previously ranking second or third. He said bluntly: "We see that Iran is capable of using any weapon that it has in its hand that is what we learned." He stressed the importance of addressing root causes through diplomacy to prevent future complications and observed that the United States has become central to defense planning across the Gulf states.
The adviser’s comments link worries about military escalation, control of a strategically vital maritime chokepoint and energy market stability, while underscoring the diplomatic uncertainties surrounding regional initiatives.
Key sectors mentioned or affected: energy markets and international trade, regional defence planning and maritime security.