UAE tycoon rules out Abu Dhabi joining Iran war in scathing attack on US
In a scathing statement on X, Khalaf al-Habtoor, a prominent Emirati billionaire, has ruled out the UAE getting involved in the war on Iran, and accused the US of putting Israel’s interests over its own.
Habtoor noted that US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham had in recent days called on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to join the US and Israel in its war on Iran. A few hours after it was posted, his statement appeared to have been removed.
“I say to him clearly: We know full well why we are under attack, and we also know who dragged the entire region into this dangerous escalation without consulting those he calls his ‘allies’ in the region,” he wrote.
Habtoor is not a government official, but the Dubai-based billionaire is close to ruling circles. Public expression in the UAE, particularly at this level, is tightly controlled by the government.
In response to the US and Israel's war, Iran has retaliated by launching drones and missiles at every country in the Gulf.
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Habtoor said that the UAE did not deny Iran’s threat to the region, adding that it does not trust Tehran.
“But this is a dirty game in which several powers clash at the expense of our region, with no honor in it and no transparency,” he said, calling out Iran, Israel and the US for prioritising their own interests over others in the region.
“And for this reason, we say it clearly: We will not enter this war to serve the interests of others, nor will we sacrifice our sons in a conflict that could have been avoided through diplomacy and political solutions.”
He said that the UAE does not treat the lives of “our sons” as collateral damage, “as some do”.
'We will not enter this war to serve the interests of others, nor will we sacrifice our sons in a conflict that could have been avoided through diplomacy and political solutions'
- Khalaf al-Habtoor
“If President Donald Trump and Senator Graham are prepared to risk their country and the lives of Americans for Israel's interests, that is their choice,” he said. “As for us, we will not do the same.”
On Sunday, UAE officials denied Israeli media reports that Abu Dhabi had taken part in an air strike on an Iranian desalination plant.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Emirati foreign ministry said the country was acting “in a state of defence” in response to attacks from Iran but “does not seek to be drawn into conflicts or escalation”.
The statement came after several Israeli media outlets, citing anonymous sources, reported that the UAE was behind an attack on a desalination facility in Iran.
'We do not need your protection'
Habtoor noted that Graham, in an interview with Fox News, said that Arab countries benefit from US protection.
“And I say to him: We do not need your protection. All we want from you is to keep your hands off us,” the tycoon said.
He added that the US selling weapons to the UAE was not a favour nor charity, and that Abu Dhabi invested billions in its security.
He also referenced another portion of Graham’s remarks to Fox News, in which he spoke about the US’s oil interests.
“Venezuela and Iran have 31 percent of the world’s oil reserves. We’re going to have a partnership with 31 percent of the known reserves. This is China’s nightmare. This is a good investment,” Graham told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo.
Habtoor responded: “Only then does the picture become clear. And only then do we understand why they want this war.”
The billionaire concluded by stating that anyone listening to Graham’s remarks “might think you’re a member of the Israeli Knesset”.
“You defend Israel's interests more than you defend the interests of the American people themselves,” he said.
“We will not accept being forced down the path of war, nor will we accept being fuel for others' battles.”
Habtoor last week accused Trump of dragging the Gulf partners into “danger” by unleashing a war on Iran that they did not want and betraying the American people by putting war at the “top of your priorities”.
Habtoor owns one of the UAE’s largest conglomerates, Al Habtoor Group.
The censure is all the more notable because the UAE businessman has no record of criticising Trump or his policies.
On the contrary, he publicly embraced Israel after Trump brokered the Abraham Accords. The UAE normalised ties with Israel under the 2020 accords, which also saw Morocco and Bahrain establish formal relations.
The Habtoor Group was one of the first UAE companies to look at partnering with Israeli airlines. It also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Israeli tech company Mobileye. The UAE, in general, is seen as the Gulf state closest to Israel.
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