Iran's Rezaei warns UAE that hosting Netanyahu will not end well

Mohsen Rezaei, a senior Iranian political and military figure, has criticized the United Arab Emirates for hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he referred to as the "Gaza butcher," in a post published on the social media platform X. The statement was made in Arabic and directed at the UAE leadership.

In his post, Rezaei said that just as hosting United States military bases had not brought security to the UAE, hosting the "Gaza butcher" would not have positive consequences either. He urged the Emirati authorities to "learn from the recent war, stop starting wars, and refrain from making baseless claims about the Iranian islands." The reference to the Iranian islands concerns the long-standing dispute over Abu Musa and the Tunb islands in the Persian Gulf, which Iran controls but the UAE claims.

Rezaei's remarks come amid heightened regional tensions following the recent conflict involving Israel and Iran. The statement reflects Iran's opposition to the normalization of ties between Israel and Arab states, particularly the UAE, which established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords. Iran has consistently criticized such agreements as a betrayal of the Palestinian cause.

The post also highlights Iran's ongoing concerns about the presence of US military bases in the region, which Tehran views as a threat to its security. Rezaei's warning suggests that the UAE's alignment with Israel and the US could further destabilize the region.

According to Mehr News, Rezaei's comments were made in a post on X and were reported by the Iranian news agency. The report did not include any response from the UAE or Israeli officials.