The UAE Ambassador to India, Abdulnasser Jamal Alshaali, has welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for immediate de-escalation of Tehran’s continued strikes, saying Tehran cannot ‘afford to ignore’ New Delhi. He criticised Tehran for its persistent attacks in spite of India’s diplomatic language.

The Ambassador said, “To be very clear, the UAE assesses actions, not statements. What we have seen is attacks continuing despite diplomatic language, which underscores the importance of concrete and immediate steps rather than just words.”

Alshaali reiterated that the UAE evaluates actions rather than statements. “For the UAE, genuine de-escalation means one thing above all: these attacks must cease immediately and unconditionally. The UAE’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity are non-negotiable. India’s voice matters here, obviously. And when Prime Minister Modi calls for de-escalation and expresses India’s solidarity with the UAE, that carries weight, not just because of the scale of the bilateral relationship, but because India is a country that Iran cannot afford to ignore,” Alshaali added.

The Ambassador called for an immediate and unconditional halt to the strikes by Iran, urging the international community, such as the United Nations Security Council, to take stringent measures to prevent further escalation. Iran must retain the right to defend itself under international law, he said.

“India’s engagement in calling for restraint is part of the international pressure that the UAE values and welcomes. Beyond that, the UAE calls on the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to condemn these attacks and take the measures necessary to prevent their recurrence. The UAE reserves its full and legitimate right under Article 51 of the UN Charter to deter aggression. The UAE has chosen restraint. That restraint should not be mistaken for vulnerability. Our preference has always been and remains stability, diplomacy, and peace,” the Ambassador said. – editor@nrifocus.com