By: Reuters

“Our energy exports will not be held hostage, nor will our trade and economic activity. The UAE was built on forward thinking and swift implementation. Faced with this crisis, we are applying that same approach, anticipating vulnerabilities, acting decisively, and building greater resilience into our economy and infrastructure.”

“Dealing with Iran remains a central issue, not only for the UAE, but for all the Gulf countries. Iran remains our neighbour, and at some point, we will have to find a way to restore what can be restored. Geography leaves us no alternative to engagement. But we must distinguish clearly between rebuilding a necessary and functional relationship with Iran and rebuilding the trust that has been broken. The first is necessary, the second will be far more difficult.”

“Surely, it cannot become acceptable for oil tankers and commercial vessels to be routinely threatened by mines, drones, or missiles. Collectively, we all pay a heavy price for the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with consequences affecting the global economy and eroding international law.”

“No single state should control the Strait of Hormuz. It is an international waterway of global importance, not a strategic privilege to be exercised by whichever country happens to possess the means to disrupt it. We have said, and will continue to say, that using an international waterway as an instrument of coercion is unacceptable.”

“The Strait of Hormuz must be treated as what it is, an international waterway whose freedom of navigation cannot be subject to coercion. Third, we need a long-term diplomatic approach to regional stability that addresses the full spectrum of threats we face and provides credible guarantees against further Iranian attacks on Gulf countries.”

“We need to realize in the Gulf that having international forces in the region. Having a strategic alliance in (with) the United States is very important, but it's not enough. Self-sufficiency when it comes to security is the only way forward. Yes, we need our partners, yes, we need our allies, but we cannot depend on them alone for our security. And this conflict has shown that we are capable to defend ourselves. And that we are not an easy pill to swallow for any foe that would come either across the Gulf or abroad."