United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s minister of foreign affairs says his country does not have enough evidence to blame any country for last month's attacks on four oil tankers off the Emirati port city of Fujairah.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan made the remarks in a joint press conference with his Bulgarian counterpart Ekaterina Zaharieva in Sofia on Saturday.
The Emirati minister repeated his country’s earlier claim that the attacks on vessels, which occurred near Fujairah, were carried out by a “state actor”.
“For us, the attacks on four oil tankers in the UAE's territorial waters are evidence that we, alongside our various partner countries, have identified as underwater explosions, utilizing sophisticated technologies,” he said.
“These capabilities,” he claimed, “are not present in illegal non-state actors or groups. These are disciplined processes carried out by a state. However, until now, there is insufficient evidence to point to a particular country.”
He further called for coordinated efforts among “regional actors” to ensure security and stability in the region.
“Real regional security and stability will only be attained when regional actors work together. Our region is the main energy supplier to the world; our safety and security is key to ensuring prosperity and stability for all,” he said.
The Emirati minister further expressed hope to attain “a broader framework for cooperation with Iran” to help de-escalate tensions in the region.
“We must work together to spare the region from escalation, and give the voice of wisdom a chance,” he said.
The attacks on four oil tankers took place just outside the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz on May 12, in what the UAE called a “sabotage attack”.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has accused Iran of being behind the attack while independent analysts blamed US and Israeli intelligence agencies for carrying out a false flag operation in order to ignite a conflict in the Middle East region.
Last week, the United Nations Security Council held a meeting on the vessel attacks, but member states refused to blame any party despite Abu Dhabi's claim that a “state actor” was behind the incident.
Russian Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov told reporters that no evidence on Iran's alleged link to the attacks were presented during the briefing.
Days before the Security Council briefing, hawkish US National Security Adviser John Bolton had vowed to present to the UN evidence on Iran's involvement in the Fujairah attacks, but he didn't.
Following those allegations, Iran officially warned about the use of fake intelligence, similar to those which resulted in the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, to push Washington toward a war with Tehran.
“Those who were responsible for the Iraqi invasion back in 2003 are the same people who are trying to create a conflict in our region,” Iranian ambassador to the UN Majid Takht-Ravanchi said in May, referring to Trump's hawkish advisor John Bolton's role in the Iraqi invasion.
Back in April, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had warned that an “accident” could be plotted to take place so as to trigger a broader crisis.
Speaking in an interview with Reuters at the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York on April 24, Zarif said the so-called “B-Team,” including Bolton and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, could goad Trump into a conflict with Tehran.
In a tweet after the recent incidents in the Sea of Oman, Zarif referred to his earlier warnings, and said, “The B-Team is sabotaging diplomacy (including important and constructive visit of PM Shinzo Abe) and covering up economic terrorism by the US against Iran.”