The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards navy said on Tuesday Israel's presence in the United Arab Emirates was a threat to Tehran and this "should not happen".
The UAE, situated across the Gulf from Iran, became the most prominent Arab nation to forge diplomatic ties with Israel in 30 years under a US-brokered accord in 2020, though Abu Dhabi also has normal diplomatic and commercial relations with Tehran.
"We know that the Zionists were not brought to the UAE for economic purposes but rather for security and military work. This is a threat to us and should not happen," Revolutionary Guards Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri said, according to Iran's semi-official Student News Agency.
Tangsiri added that the Gulf, as well as the Gulf of Oman outside the Strait of Hormuz through which a major amount of the world's seaborne oil passes, were no places for Israelis.
He did not indicate whether Iran was considering any action in the region over Israel's presence.
