UAE Seeks Diplomacy as US and Iran Negotiate

The United Arab Emirates is seeking a diplomatic breakthrough to prevent a resumption of conflict between the United States and Iran. Speaking at a conference in Manama, diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash stated that while the region does not benefit from further conflict, the UAE remains braced for the worst.

Iranian negotiators recently concluded three days of talks with Qatari mediators in Doha to end a war that began in February with joint US-Israeli strikes. Qatar proposed a seven-day trust-building plan, which Tehran found unsatisfactory, while the US rejected an Iranian proposal to unfreeze assets and lift port blockades. Despite the deadlock, Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that talks have never stopped and the US remains open to a diplomatic solution.

President Donald Trump has paused new military strikes until after the November 3 midterm elections, though he has not ruled out future action to prevent Iran from taking the global economy hostage. In response, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei ordered Iranian armed forces to prepare for an immediate and geographically unrestricted response to any attack.