The United Arab Emirates has hit back at Tehran over claims that the US strike on Kharg Island — an oil hub handling about 90 per cent of Iranian exports — originated from the Gulf state, saying Iran’s policy was confused and lacked wisdom.
In a post on X early Sunday, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said the country had the right to defend itself but “continues to prioritise reason and logic.”
The remarks came shortly after the media office of Fujairah, one of the seven emirates of the UAE, confirmed that a fire broke out at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone (FOIZ) due to debris from an aerial interception.
Saying that efforts were underway to contain the blaze, it added that a Jordanian national was lightly injured in the incident. Meanwhile, industry and trade sources cited by news agency Reuters said that oil-loading operations had been partially suspended in Fujairah following a drone attack and fire on Saturday.
Fujairah, a major bunkering hub and crude export terminal, lies outside the Strait of Hormuz and is the outlet for about 1 million barrels of crude oil per day, a volume that translates to about 1 per cent of world demand.
The fire was officially acknowledged hours after Iran openly threatened to strike three ports in the UAE as it warned residents to leave areas near Jebel Ali port in Dubai and Khalifa port in Abu Dhabi as well as Fujairah.
The threat, coming through Iran’s official judiciary news agency, Mizan, was accompanied by unsubstantiated claims that US forces were using the three civilian ports as bases. It called the sites “legitimate targets” for Iranian attacks.
It urged people in and around those ports to immediately evacuate, saying the facilities “may be targeted in the coming hours.”
Tehran’s warning was in response to the US military strike that hit its Kharg Island earlier in the day.
Throughout the course of the ongoing war, Gulf Arab states have faced seemingly unending and occasionally fatal Iranian drone and missile attacks targeting oil fields, cities and critical infrastructure.
– Ends
(With inputs from agencies)
Tune In
Source link
[ad_3]
