Gargash: UAE ready to take up a bigger regional security role

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said he is worried about a fracturing of views on Iran in the West

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash said the UAE is ready to take up a bigger role in regional security. AFP

The UAE is willing to take a more active role in regional security, as the United States and Britain can no longer be relied upon, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash said today.

Speaking at an event in London, Dr Gargash also said the UAE is worried about a divergence of views between the US and Europe over Iran.

"We are ready to take up more of the burden of security in our own neighbourhood," Dr Gargash said at a Policy Exchange think tank event on Thursday.

"We know that we can no longer rely on the United States, or the United Kingdom, to lead such military operations."

Dr Gargash said he preferred the United States' approach of applying pressure to Iran, over Europe's attempts to rescue the 2015 nuclear deal brokered by former US president Barack Obama.

"We hope that United States pressure on Iran will bring it back to the negotiating table for an agreement wider than the JCPOA [the nuclear deal], one that addresses Iran’s ballistic missiles and regional meddling," Dr Gargash said.

Tensions between the United States and Iran hit fever pitch this week in a war of words where US President Donald Trump promised "consequence the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before", if Iran threatens the US again.

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