Iran’s foreign minister accused the United Arab Emirates on Thursday of direct involvement in military operations against Iran, escalating Tehran’s criticism of regional states during a BRICS meeting in New Delhi.
Abbas Araghchi made the remarks in response to comments by the Emirati representative and added that he had avoided naming the UAE in his main speech “for the sake of unity.”
“But the truth is that the UAE was directly involved in the aggression against my country,” Araghchi said. “When the attacks started, they didn't even issue a condemnation.”
He accused Abu Dhabi of providing bases, airspace, territory, intelligence and other facilities to the United States and Israel during the attacks.
Araghchi said Iran had not attacked the UAE, but had targeted US military bases and facilities on Emirati soil.
He urged the UAE to reconsider its policy toward Iran, saying neither the US military presence nor ties with Israel had protected it.
His remarks came against the backdrop of the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel, during which Tehran said it targeted US military positions in response to attacks on Iran.
They also followed reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had visited Abu Dhabi during the war and that Israel had provided the UAE with military equipment. The UAE rejected reports of the visit.
Araghchi cited the reports in his remarks, saying the UAE had become “an active partner in this aggression.”
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he had made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates during the US-Israeli war with Iran earlier this year and met UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the bloc to oppose what he called the politicization of international institutions and take action against countries violating the UN Charter.
“The West's false sense of superiority and immunity must be shattered by all of us,” Araghchi said in a statement during the gathering.
His remarks come as Iran faces deepening economic strain, a collapsing currency and growing public frustration at home, weakening the image of resilience officials have sought to project.
High inflation and repeated protests over living costs have laid bare Iran’s domestic vulnerabilities, even as Tehran seeks to project itself as a challenger to Western influence.
The two-day meeting opened under the shadow of the Iran-US-Israel war, exposing divisions within an expanded BRICS bloc split by competing regional interests and differing ties with Washington.
The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28 targeting military bases, missile infrastructure, nuclear facilities and senior commanders in an effort to weaken Tehran’s military capabilities and nuclear program.
Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Israel, US military assets and infrastructure linked to American allies in the Persian Gulf region.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar warned that instability around key shipping lanes threatened the global economy.
“Safe and unimpeded maritime flows through international waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, remain vital for global economic well-being,” Jaishankar said in opening remarks.
Iran has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following joint US and Israeli strikes on its territory, issuing warnings to commercial vessels and tankers in the strategic waterway.
Traffic through the strait, which carries roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas trade, declined sharply as tanker operators suspended transit and vessels rerouted over security concerns.
The disruptions drew criticism from Western governments, Persian Gulf Arab states and shipping groups, which warned that threats to one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints could destabilize global trade and energy markets.
BRICS was founded by Brazil, Russia, India and China before South Africa joined in 2011. The bloc later expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the UAE.
Iran presses bloc for response
Araghchi used his address to accuse Washington and Israel of carrying out attacks against Iran and urged BRICS countries to take a firmer position on the conflict.
“Iran is asking BRICS members and all responsible members of the international community to explicitly condemn violations of international law by the United States and Israel,” he said.
Araghchi also portrayed BRICS as part of an emerging global order less dominated by Western powers and said developing countries faced similar political and economic pressure from Washington.
His comments did not address Iran’s own military and proxy activities across the region, including attacks by Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon against neighboring countries and US-linked targets in recent years.
Tehran also launched missile and drone attacks on Arab states aligned with Washington during the conflict, targeting military facilities and energy infrastructure in the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
The regional governments condemned the strikes as violations of sovereignty that threatened regional stability and energy supplies.
Differences inside BRICS have complicated efforts to reach a unified position on the conflict, particularly between Iran and the UAE, which support opposing sides in the war.
Despite the divisions, diplomats said discussions were continuing toward a possible joint statement before the meeting concludes on Friday.
The man, identified by the pseudonym “Nima,” told the newspaper he reported the incident to British police after returning to the UK and warned the journalist, who works for a Persian-language broadcaster.
Nima, who has lived in Britain for about a decade and works as a bartender, said the encounter began during a holiday in southern Europe, where he visited an Iranian restaurant and met two men, including one he recognized from Iran.
The man initially discussed plans to open a bar in London and asked for Nima’s contact details, presenting the approach as a business proposal, according to the report.
Alleged murder proposal
Nima said a second meeting took a darker turn when the man arrived with two others and began referring to personal details about his life in Britain and relatives in Iran.
“He told me: ‘You are a decent man. You have family in Iran who need your support. I would like to offer you a job, with an initial payment of £40,000,’” Nima told the Jewish Chronicle.
According to the report, the man referred to an Iranian journalist in London with whom Nima had argued online and said he wanted to “punish” him, asking whether Nima could carry out the act or find someone else to do so.
Nima said he was offered 20,000 pounds in cash immediately and the remaining amount after identifying the journalist’s location. He said the men appeared to believe the journalist lived in a safe house.
The suspected operative did not directly identify himself as an IRGC member, Nima said, but an acquaintance suggested he held influence in Iran and referred to “Sepah” - the Persian name for the IRGC –while discussing possible help for Nima’s family.
Security concerns in Britain
The alleged approach comes amid heightened concern in Britain over Iranian-linked threats targeting dissidents, journalists and Jewish institutions.
Iran-aligned group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia has said it carried out attacks on Jewish sites in Britain and Europe, including incidents involving two north London synagogues last month.
MI5 Director General Ken McCallum has warned repeatedly that Iran, acting through the IRGC, poses what he described as a “potentially lethal” threat in Britain. British authorities have disrupted multiple alleged Iran-linked plots since 2022 targeting dissidents, journalists and Jewish or Israeli-linked individuals, according to British officials.
