The United Arab Emirates urged a return to diplomacy and condemned Iranian aggression following missile attacks on the Gulf, in remarks made Friday by Dr. Anwar Gargash, Senior Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, in an interview with CNN.

Describing the moment as “historic” yet fraught with challenges, Dr. Gargash said the UAE and other regional powers had worked “very hard and sincerely to avoid this scenario, to avert a war.” He emphasized that the country has long pursued diplomatic solutions, engaging with the United States, Iran, and Israel to prevent escalation.

“This has been part of our diplomacy for a very long time,” Gargash said. “War will not resolve things, and the path forward is negotiations.”

He stressed that the current crisis, fueled in part by Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional missile programs, cannot be solved militarily.

“Even if it is such a complicated issue, there is no real military solution for this,” he said. “Today, as we see the beginning of a war that we don’t really understand the contours of… I think it will take some time for us to understand the contours… We continue to really call for a negotiated political solution.”

The senior adviser strongly condemned Iranian actions against the UAE and Gulf countries, calling the attacks “very ill advised.” When asked if the UAE had been forewarned about the missile strikes, Dr. Gargash said there had been no advance notification.

“Like every other country, the expectation of war was looming clearer and clearer based on the outcome of the negotiations,” he said. “But as we came closer to what I would call the cul de sac of negotiations in Geneva, it was expected that we would see the moment that we’ve all dreaded. We have worked very, very hard to avert this.”

On potential responses from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states or the possibility of internal Iranian upheaval prompted by appeals from the U.S. President, Dr. Gargash remained cautious.

“Iran’s future direction… is something for the Iranians to decide. I don’t think it is appropriate for me to speculate on that,” he said.

Instead, the UAE’s focus, he said, is on regional stability and protecting its citizens.

“Our part is to work together with the United States, with neighbours like Iran, in order to ensure the stability and security of the region. Clearly, this time we have failed,” Dr. Gargash acknowledged.

He also highlighted the UAE’s readiness to defend itself.

“We are in good shape with emergency plans in place, our air defences have done a great job. We will continue to protect the UAE and everybody living here… and these are our priorities today,” he said.

Dr. Gargash concluded with a call for calm and rationality across the region.

“The voice of the region is one of calm, of rationality, that the region does not really need another war, further military confrontation,” he said, reiterating the UAE’s dual approach: pushing for negotiations while safeguarding national security.