Qatar-led mediation urged by UAE to avert renewed US-Iran confrontation over Hormuz

The United Arab Emirates said it wanted progress in Qatar-led mediation to avoid fresh US-Iran conflict. UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash spoke at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. Gargash linked the request to the Iran war that started on Feb. 28. Gargash said the fighting reshaped regional and global security.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iranian negotiators were in Qatar for talks. Araghchi said the proposal could reopen the Strait of Hormuz soon. Araghchi said there were no direct talks with the US. Araghchi said the result depended on US replies to Iranian questions.

US-Iran confrontation and Qatar-led mediation

In a Telegram interview, Araghchi said Iran preferred diplomacy over other options. Araghchi said Iran could pursue defence or diplomacy. Araghchi linked that choice to Washingtons rationality. Gargash also said the region did not want another confrontation. Gargash was speaking to officials and experts at the IISS forum.

The three-day meeting in Manama took place under fears of escalation. Gargash said the crisis needed careful judgement and political tools. Gargash warned that military solutions could deepen an already complex situation. Gargash also said quick exits were unlikely through force. Gargash said the US and Iran remained far apart.

"We dont really want to see another round of confrontation in the region,\" Gargash told the audience at the Manama Dialogue, an annual security summit in Bahrain organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, or IISS, that brings together regional and international state, defense and foreign affairs officials and experts.

\"If these positions are not bridged, then we have to worry about the worst,\" Gargash said. Gargash said another war was not in the region’s interest. Gargash also said Iran would struggle to endure a new round. Officials from Gulf and Arab states echoed the concern during sessions.

Egypts Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty warned of sharper risks if fighting resumed. \"The second round of escalation will be more dangerous, more destructive, and it will lead to nowhere.\" The comments came a day before Gargash spoke. The forum heard repeated calls to contain tensions through dialogue.

Iran war impacts and Gulf defence response

Gargash said Gulf states were preparing in case escalation returned. Before an April ceasefire, the UAE faced over 3,000 Iranian drone and ballistic missile attacks. IISS said airports, military sites and oil facilities were targeted. IISS said most incoming attacks were intercepted by defences.

Gargash said the war tightened US-UAE ties and raised their importance. Gargash said the relationship sat at the centre of UAE self-defence. Since the ceasefire, Gulf states spent billions to strengthen defensive capabilities. Officials described upgrades across air defence and related systems.

Bahraini Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said Bahrain backed steps to lower tensions. Al Zayani said Bahrain welcomed efforts that prevented escalation. Al Zayani also said dialogue should be supported where possible. The statements came during sessions alongside other regional officials.

Al Zayani accused Iran of a repeated pattern of threatening strikes. Al Zayani said sea, air and data facilities were targeted or threatened. Al Zayani said the behaviour continued after the ceasefire. Al Zayani said Iran threatened underwater data cables as recently as last month.

Al Zayani linked attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels to that pattern. \"These attacks are part of one continued pattern,\" he said. \"The hands may change, the approach doesnt.\" IISS said Iran fired 500 drones and nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Bahrain during peak fighting.

IISS said the Bahrain attacks hit the US Navys 5th Fleet base. IISS said other strikes hit homes, the financial district and a desalination plant. Separately, this summer the Houthis increased attacks on Saudi oil sites and airports. The Houthis said the attacks answered Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa airport.

The Houthis struck key oil pipelines and disrupted flights in Saudi Arabia, officials said. Another issue at the forum was the GCC’s limited joint defence coordination. The GCC includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. IISS said the war-time response was mainly national, not collective.

IISS said each state worked with US command centres, sometimes reducing overall efficiency. Gargash offered direct criticism of the group’s combined performance. \"I have to come and say that we have not collectively risen to the challenge. Nationally, we have. Each State independently has, or sometimes in terms of bilateral cooperation, Gargash said. In one of our most critical crises, we collectively have not risen to the challenge.\"

Officials at the forum stressed that diplomatic steps were still needed to prevent escalation. Qatar-mediated talks and US responses to Iranian questions remained central issues. Gulf states continued investing in defences after heavy strikes earlier in the year. Speakers said regional security now depended on bridging wide gaps between Washington and Tehran.

With inputs from PTI