Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has accused the United Arab Emirates of taking part in military operations against Iran, escalating tensions between the two countries during a BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi.
According to Iranian state media, Araqchi made the allegation on Thursday while speaking on the sidelines of the gathering, suggesting Abu Dhabi was directly involved in actions linked to the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The UAE has not publicly responded to the claim, and the details of what prompted the accusation were not immediately clear.
The remarks come a day after the UAE rejected suggestions tied to the Iran war and denied reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had visited the country during the conflict.
Araqchi also appeared to soften his language in parts of his BRICS statement, saying he avoided naming the UAE “for the sake of unity,” but insisted Iran still believes it played a role in the hostilities.
He argued that the UAE’s alignment with U.S. and Israeli interests has not guaranteed its security, and urged Gulf states to reconsider their regional policies toward Tehran.
“We must live side by side in peace,” he said, according to Iranian state media, stressing that long-term stability would require “peaceful relations and full understanding” between the two countries.
The Iran war, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes in February, has drawn in multiple regional actors, with Iran responding through missile and drone attacks on targets it says are linked to its adversaries across the Gulf.
Earlier reports, including from the Wall Street Journal, have alleged varying levels of indirect or covert involvement by regional states, though none of those claims have been independently confirmed.
The dispute at the BRICS meeting also highlights growing divisions within the bloc, where members Iran and the UAE sit alongside countries with competing alliances and sharply different positions on the conflict.
Diplomatic sources say the disagreements have complicated efforts to produce a unified statement from the meeting, reflecting wider fractures over the Middle East crisis.
