A person biased towards Iran says:
First, no comparison between Iran and UAE: When it comes to military technology, the UAE is simply no match for Iran. A nation of over three million university students, Iran's educational base far surpasses that of the UAE, which has around 150,000 citizens in higher education. Consider this: a nation of 90 million people, under threat from the world’s sole superpower for nearly half a century and equipped with a highly educated population, such a country will inevitably learn how to defend itself.
Second, the assessment Methodology: I don’t need to study weapons systems for a living, but I pay attention to the basics and use my eyes and common sense. Over the past several months, I’ve repeatedly seen Iran penetrate Israeli missile defenses using their advanced missiles.
Third, some advice for UAE: If you’re a smaller nation focused on building hotels and establishing yourself as a tourist destination under a superpower’s umbrella, there’s nothing wrong with that. But let’s be honest, you won’t have the capacity to defend yourself. In my view, the UAE should align itself with Iran, not Israel. Iran has been your neighbour for centuries. Israel, on the other hand, is a state engineered in a way that keeps Arabs down.
It is time for a response that alerts the heedless but does not wake the sleeping:
First, the comparison is between the UAE, and the Iranian regime (not Iran itself) is flawed!
During his flight from Paris to Tehran on February 1, 1979, Khomeini - the Supreme Leader of the Iranian Revolution - was asked by an international journalist: “Would you be so kind as to tell us how you feel about returning to Iran?” after fifteen years in exile. Khomeini's response was a single, deliberate word in Farsi: “هیچی – Hichi – Nothing!” When the translator hesitantly offered, “He doesn’t make any comment,” the weight of that one word went largely unnoticed, yet within it lay the somber resolve of the emerging clerical regime, a power willing to sacrifice the entirety of Iran – its people, its land and its sky - in pursuit of its vision.
“از کیسه خلیفه میبخشد”
The above Iranian proverb “He gives from the Caliph’s purse” describes someone who is generous or extravagant with another’s property. This is precisely how those in power, from Khomeini onward, have viewed Iran’s wealth: as “Nothing!” more than a cash cow, for the sake of God!
https://youtu.be/yc1zu1XIeYo?si=1zk-Vh6KtI_21O8O
Unlike the UAE, the Iranian regime -not Iran itself- has built no economy, and therefore, they have nothing to lose or defend. UAE has been focused on building defense systems to protect its hard-won achievements and its economy, including tourism.
Second, based on the above assessment methodology, if we use our eyes and common sense, it’s clear that Iran lacks genuine military science and technology. Someone has clearly taught them how to copy-paste offensive missiles but apparently decided not to teach them how to build defensive ones. Otherwise, if the Iranian regime truly possessed indigenous defense technology, why have they failed to develop credible defensive systems?!
Take the -smaller- UAE, for example. Its six-layer air defense system has so far intercepted 95.2% of more than 1,000 Iranian rockets/drowns, and that’s no accident. The UAE has been busy developing the sixth layer itself: a homegrown defensive capability called SKYNIGHT, designed to counter drone swarms and capable of launching five rockets per second. Again, based on the above assessment methodology, until we see the UAE’s offensive capabilities with our own eyes, we shouldn’t compare them to Iran’s offensive systems. Therefore, it is premature to assert that the UAE cannot be considered a match for Iran in military technology.
Who is the UAE?
Third, like any normal country, UAE has also been building alliances and partnerships around the world, including with Iran and Israel. In fact, UAE has used its proven relationship with Iran as a model for building ties with Israel. I’m sure you know that UAE, since its inception in 1971, maintains full and open relations with Iran, even though they’ve occupied three Emirati islands. UAE has experience dealing with occupiers.
UAE is just as pragmatic as the Iranian regime when it comes to building partnerships with the U.S. and Israel. UAE does it openly, while the Iranian regime operates behind closed doors. I'm sure you still remember that the current Iranian regime, with the backing of both supreme leaders, Khomeini and Khamenei:
1) Secretly purchased weapons from Israel in the 1980s (the Iran-Contra affair).
2) Quietly facilitated the migration of 50,000 Iranian Jews to Israel during the same decade.
3) Covertly cooperated with Israel in the 1980s to bomb Iraq’s nuclear reactor.
4) Secretly supported the U.S. in its war in Afghanistan in 2001.
5) Quietly coordinated with the U.S. in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein’s regime, a regime that was hostile to Israel, and
6) We have no reason to believe this trilogy partnership has ever stopped.
In Saudi Arabic, when U.S. President Joe Biden invited UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to Washington, Sheikh Mohamed responded: “I am new to this job, but I am working hard to see how we can bridge our relationship and build a strong connection between our two countries.” Similarly, despite normalizing relations with Israel in 2020, he has yet to visit Israel. One doesn't need to be a rocket scientist to grasp the message.
https://youtu.be/4RhyncWqTeM?si=QH834YTPrxGc1PCQ
As Sheikh Mohamed said few days ago: “The UAE is beautiful and a role model. But its skin is thick, and its flesh is bitter.”
No matter how small UAE is, it is sovereign at heart. It knows there are no permanent friends or enemies. It also believes the ongoing war on Iran is wrong and recognizes that obstructing the development of the six Gulf countries are the real targets. Attacks on oil storage facilities Saturday in and around Tehran, sparked huge fires in the first such attacks reported since the war started last weekend, prompting the Iranian regime to attack Gulf State's oil facilities!
Remember:
First: Let no one mistake our commitment to building for weakness, nor the Iranian regime’s penchant for destruction for strength. We are not a small nation to be underestimated. Do not be misled by our size. For, as inscribed in our national anthem, we are a people deeply rooted in both this world and the hereafter:
“Live, my country, long live the union of our Emirates.
You have lived for a nation
Whose religion is Islam, whose guide is the Quran.
I have fortified you in the name of Allah, O homeland.
My country, my country, my country, my country.
May Allah protect you from the evils of time.
We have sworn to build and to work,
To work with sincerity, to work with sincerity.
As long as we live, we shall remain sincere.
May safety endures and the flag fly high, O our Emirates,
The symbol of Arabism.
We all sacrifice for you, with our blood we nourish you,
With our souls we redeem you, O homeland.”
Second: The question of who will prevail, America or the Iranian regime, is the wrong one. It is a distraction, designed to mislead. What truly matters is that we, as Arabs, refuse to be drawn into a war of attrition with the Iranian regime. By withholding our response to the Iranian regime thus far, we have already foiled an evil agenda, just as we previously thwarted expansion plans through displacement of the Palestinians from Gaza and foiled an agenda to drag us into a prolonged conflict serving other’s grand dreams.
Back to the important question: Why UAE?
To take it one step further, beyond its tourism and weapon industries, the UAE has, since 2009, controlled the world's third-largest semiconductor foundry, GlobalFoundries, and is rapidly expanding its footprint through new initiatives. The UAE is in active negotiations with industry giants to establish semiconductor production facilities in the country. Stargate Project: In 2025, G42 announced a partnership with OpenAI, NVIDIA, and Microsoft to build "Stargate UAE," a massive 5-gigawatt data centre campus in Abu Dhabi designed for advanced AI training. I will stop here and overlook mentioning many other distinguished industries, so as not to expose them to the harm of losers and fascists.
UAE’s tourism economy is a source of pride, but it is not its sole endeavor. To reduce it to that is an act of trivialization, and that very jealous mindset is why the UAE finds itself targeted. Our slogan in these days of virtue is:
“Our Lord! Do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord! Do not place a burden on us like the one you placed on those before us. Our Lord! Do not burden us with what we cannot bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our ˹only˺ Guardian. So, grant us victory over the disbelieving people.” Quran 2:286
