Iran Must Halt Attacks Before Any Mediation Is Possible٫UAE Warns

Regional Crisis Can Only End Through Diplomacy — UAE Minister of State
Abu Dhabi / Dubai, March 13, 2026: The UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Lana Nusseibeh, has stated that Iran must first stop its attacks on neighbouring countries before any mediation efforts can begin.
Speaking to Reuters, Nusseibeh said: “It is difficult to talk about mediation when under attack. Mediation can only happen when the guns go silent.” She expressed confidence that President Trump would bring about a diplomatic conclusion to the war with Iran “in his time.”  (The Hill)
The senior Emirati diplomat revealed that Iranian officials gave her no warning that the UAE would be targeted when she visited Tehran for diplomatic talks just two weeks before the conflict erupted — a fact she described as “so shocking and so egregious.” She said Iran was attempting to undermine the UAE’s economic model, which hosts some 700,000 Iranian nationals, but added that the strikes had only demonstrated the country’s resilience.  (The Hill)
A separate UAE official, speaking anonymously, underlined that any future negotiated settlement with Iran must now go beyond the nuclear file. “Missiles are now centre stage, because missiles are not seen as self-defence,” the official said.  (Military Times)
Nusseibeh affirmed that the UAE’s economy remains strong and robust, with airports open and workers back at their posts — in stark contrast to Iran’s currency, which she said is heading “into freefall.”  (The Hill)
The UAE’s position reflects a broader Gulf consensus that any post-war arrangement with Tehran must include binding commitments on both nuclear and conventional military capabilities.