Iran accuses UAE of direct role in US-Israeli attacks at BRICS summit

FE Team | Published: May 14, 2026 21:37:18

RIYADH, May 14 (Agencies): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday accused the United Arab Emirates of playing what he called an active role in the US-Israeli war against Iran.
"The UAE is an active partner in this aggression, and there is no doubt about it," Araghchi said while attending the BRICS summit in India.
"It also became clear that they participated in these attacks and may have even acted directly against us," he added.
Araghchi also referred to what Israel described as a "secret" meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the UAE, a visit that Abu Dhabi has denied took place.
Araghchi also said, according to Iran's Mehr news agency, he didn't name the UAE in his statement "for the sake of unity."
Meanwhile, India's foreign ministry condemned an attack of an Indian-flagged ship off Oman as "unacceptable" on Thursday, with maritime security monitors reporting the cargo vessel had sunk.
New Delhi did not give further details on the attack on Wednesday, and the fate of the unnamed ship, nor who it believes was responsible.
"The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable, and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted," India's foreign ministry said in a statement.
"All Indian crew on board are safe, and we thank the Omani authorities for rescuing them," it added, without giving further details.
Earlier, Lebanon and Israel are to hold new peace talks in Washington starting Thursday, as their latest ceasefire -- considered to still be in place despite hundreds of deaths in Israeli strikes -- nears its end.
The two countries last met on April 23 at the White House, where US President Donald Trump announced a three-week ceasefire extension and voiced optimism for a historic agreement.
Meanwhile, The United Nations could feed a million additional children at risk of malnutrition in Afghanistan if the country's conflict with Pakistan and the Iran war had not inflated prices and transport costs, a senior official told AFP.
Afghanistan saw a record rise in malnutrition cases in 2025, following a deadly earthquake, climate disasters, and the return of millions of Afghans expelled from Iran and Pakistan.