UAE officials reject Iranian claim of exclusive control over the Strait of Hormuz
High-ranking UAE diplomatic sources deny that any single nation, including Iran, can control maritime traffic through the critical waterway. Tehran has threatened to declare an exclusion zone near the route.
Anwar Gargash, a high-level diplomat for the United Arab Emirates, stated that no single country should have authority over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. He addressed concerns after Iran announced plans to establish a new exclusion zone near the shipping route. Gargash clarified that UAE energy exports will not be used as leverage and that commercial activities remain unaffected. "Using an international waterway as a tool for coercion is unacceptable," he noted during a world leaders forum in Abu Dhabi. The UAE remains a close ally of the United States with American bases located on its soil, while Iran has repeatedly threatened to use mines, drones, or missiles against vessels passing through the strait. In parallel, Saudi Arabia's military spokesman Yahya Saree reported that a reconnaissance aircraft belonging to Riyadh was shot down near the Jawf province in the Red Sea.
