UAE minister says UAE-Israel agreement not directed at Iran

The UAE on Sunday said it had summoned Iran's chargé d'affaires in Abu Dhabi in response to a speech by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

By REUTERS
UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash is seen during preparatory meeting for the GCC, Arab and Islamic summits in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 29, 2019 (photo credit: REUTERS/WALEED ALI)
UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash is seen during preparatory meeting for the GCC, Arab and Islamic summits in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 29, 2019
(photo credit: REUTERS/WALEED ALI)
The United Arab Emirates' agreement to normalise ties with Israel was a "sovereign decision" that was not directed at Iran, UAE minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash said on Monday.
"The UAE-Israeli peace treaty is a sovereign decision not directed at Iran. We say this and repeat it. We do not accept interference in our decisions," Gargash said on Twitter.
The secretary general of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council on Sunday condemned "threats" by Rouhani and other Iranian officials towards the UAE over the accord.
The UAE on Sunday said it had summoned Iran's chargé d'affaires in Abu Dhabi and given him a "strongly worded memo" in response to a speech by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that the foreign ministry described as "unacceptable".
Speaking on Saturday, Rouhani said the UAE had made a "huge mistake" in reaching an agreement to normalize ties with Israel and called it a betrayal by the Gulf state.

"They (the UAE) better be mindful. They have committed a huge mistake, a treacherous act," he said of the agreement announced on Thursday.
The UAE foreign ministry said the speech was "unacceptable, inflammatory, and carrying serious repercussions for the security and stability of the Arabian Gulf region", a statement carried by state news agency WAM said.
The foreign ministry reminded Iran of its duty to protect the UAE diplomatic mission in Tehran.
To protest the UAE-Israel agreement, a small group of Iranians gathered in front of the UAE embassy in Tehran late on Saturday, Iranian media reported.
The US-sponsored deal has been seen as firming up opposition to regional power Iran, which Gulf states, Israel and the United States view as the main threat in the conflict-riven Middle East.
The UAE, which is home to thousands of Iranians, says it pursues a de-escalatory policy towards its neighbor Iran.