DUBAI (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates has called for an end to Iran’s affairs in Abu Dhabi in response to a statement by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani describing the Foreign Ministry as “unacceptable”, state newspaper WAM said on Sunday .
PHOTO PHOTO: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks at a news conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US, September 26, 2019. REUTERS / Brendan Mcdermid
Rouhani said in a speech on Saturday that the UAE had made a ‘huge mistake’ in reaching an agreement to normalize ties with Israel and called it a betrayal by the Gulf state.
‘They (the UAE) need to think better. “They have committed a huge mistake, a treacherous act,” he said of the agreement announced Thursday.
The UAE’s Foreign Ministry said the speech was “unacceptable, inflammatory, and having serious consequences for the security and stability of the Arab Gulf region”, the statement issued by WAM said.
The charge d’affaires has received a “highly valued memo,” WAM said.
There has been no response from Tehran yet.
The UAE statement said the ministry was considering Rouhani’s speech increase in the UAE’s internal affairs and an attack on his sovereignty.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminded Iran of its duty to protect the UAE diplomatic mission in Tehran.
To protest the UAE-Israel agreement, a small group of Iranians gathered in front of the UAE embassy in Tehran late on Saturday, Iranian media reported.
The US-sponsored deal is seen as stepping up opposition to regional power in Iran, which the Gulf states, Israel and the United States see as the main threat in the conflict-ridden Middle East.
The UAE, which includes thousands of Iranians, says it is pursuing a de-escalating policy toward its neighbor Iran.
Written by Nafisa Eltahir and Lisa Barrington; Additional Report by Parisa Hafezi; Edited by David Goodman and Frances Kerry
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