New Delhi [India], September 12 (ANI): Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran has “no problem” with the United Arab Emirates or any other regional country but objected to the presence of US military bases in neighbouring states, accusing Washington of using them to launch attacks against Iran amid the West Asia conflict.
In an exclusive interview with India Today on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Pezeshkian sought to draw a distinction between Iran's ties with Gulf nations and its confrontation with the United States, saying Tehran considers the UAE and other countries in the region to be “brothers”.
“We have no problems with the UAE. We have no problem with any of the regional countries. We have a problem with the American bases located in these countries and from which they are attacking our country,” Pezeshkian said.
“The UAE, the Emiratis and other countries of the region are our brothers. We have been living together for a long time and we have had trade. We have supported each other,” he said.
Pezeshkian's remarks came as he met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in the national capital, where New Delhi played the role of peacemaker.
Pezeshkian said Tehran's objection was not directed at the Gulf states themselves but at the use of their territory by the United States.
“So this is the US that has come here and established bases, and from those bases they martyr our children, they attack our infrastructure and bomb, and they target our leaders, commanders and people,” he said.
“In fact, the problem is that the friendly and neighbouring countries should not allow enemies to utilise their soil to attack our country,” the Iranian President added.
He maintained that Iran wanted to strengthen relations with the UAE and other neighbouring states.
“Right now, we have a good relation with the UAE and we can expand it, and with other countries, the same happened. So we would like to have a sincere relation with all of them,” Pezeshkian said.
He also accused the United States of seeking to exploit the region's energy resources while encouraging divisions among regional countries through arms sales.
“However, it is the US which does not want this to happen,” he said, alleging that Washington wanted to "utilise our petroleum reservoirs of the region” while selling weapons and missiles to regional countries “in order to scare us from each other and pit us against each other.”
“It is actually exploiting the capital of the region and also it is destroying the peace and stability,” Pezeshkian said.
He argued that regional countries could instead pool their capabilities to improve security and promote economic and cultural cooperation.
“We, with the neighbouring and regional countries, can share our powers in order to help each other and establish security and help our people in order to promote our culture and economy again,” he said.
Pezeshkian's comments came against the backdrop of an escalating West Asia conflict that has increasingly tested relations between Iran and several Gulf states.
The New Delhi summit brought the regional players in West Asia together around the same table, with the conflict dominating the discussions.
The 11-member grouping eventually adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026, expressing serious concern over the escalation in West Asia and calling for maximum restraint, dialogue and diplomacy. It also called for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and stressed the importance of maintaining global trade, supply chains and energy flows.
The declaration also expressed concern over attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, stressing that nuclear safety and security must be maintained even during armed conflicts.
The declaration adopted by BRICS also called for the implementation of relevant UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions and urged all parties to maintain a ceasefire and ensure full and unhindered humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip. (ANI)
No problems with UAE; problem with US bases: Iran President Pezeshkian
