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UAE Minister of State Says the Country Intends to 'Double Down' on Partnership With US Amid Iran War

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  March 26, 2026 11:00 AM

Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed the country’s close partnership with the United States as Operation Epic Fury enters its fourth week. 

She added that Iran is not only a threat to the Middle East but globally, and that while diplomacy may be a virtuous course of action, it will only be effective when “Iran understands that its behavior as a rogue actor is not acceptable.” Of course, Iran will only grasp that point once it has been decisively weakened and brought to its knees by the combined might of the United States and Israeli militaries, as other Gulf countries, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, weigh joining the operation.

"Do you think the calls for the Gulf Arab allies, including the UAE, to get involved kinetically in the war are fair?" Fox News' Brett Baier asked.

"The UAE has fought side by side with the United States in over six coalitions in our history. We have shared values, we have shared history with the United States, we have interoperability with the United States," Nusseibeh said. "They are a clear partner to us in regional security and we intend to double down on that."

"Today we are looking at a threat to not only our region but to the international community at large that needs to be stopped in whatever way possible," she added. "The UAE is always for a diplomatic off-ramp at the end of that. We need to use diplomacy, but we need to use diplomacy when Iran understands that its behavior as a rogue actor is not acceptable neither to the region nor to the international community."

This comes as several Gulf states consider using their militaries to support U.S. efforts against Iran. Recent reports indicate that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has urged President Trump to continue Operation Epic Fury, while other Gulf countries have so far stopped short of committing, although they remain in a supportive stance.