E-Paper
Sign In
UAE rejects Iran’s justification for attacks, dismisses ‘retaliatory strikes’ claims
'Iran is fully liable for all injury and damage caused to affected countries as a result of its unlawful armed attacks'
- PUBLISHED: Tue 17 Mar 2026, 3:31 PM
The UAE has rejected descriptions of Iran’s attacks on the country as “retaliatory strikes”, calling the characterisation legally unfounded and a pretext for unlawful aggression.
Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Jamal Al Musharakh, the UAE’s permanent representative to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva, said the description used by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran and the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran “lacks any legal or factual basis”.
Recommended For You
“(It) ... provides an unjustified pretext for acts of aggression that are unlawful under international law,” he said, warning that such framing risks setting “a dangerous precedent” that runs counter to the principles of the international order, particularly respect for state sovereignty.
The remarks came during an interactive dialogue with both UN mechanisms at the Council’s current session.
Al Musharakh said the UAE categorically rejects Iran’s justifications for the escalation, saying “such claims are merely attempts to mislead the international community in an effort to justify its unprovoked and unlawful aggression against the UAE and countries in the region”.
He said targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure “constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law” and undermines efforts to strengthen regional security and stability.
Al Musharakh told the Council that the attacks, which has continued for 17 days against the UAE, Gulf Cooperation Council states and Jordan, had drawn “strong condemnation from the international community” through UN Security Council Resolution 2817.
The resolution, co-sponsored by 136 UN member states, calls on Iran to immediately cease the attacks and affirms that such actions constitute a violation of international law and a threat to international peace and security.
“It sends a clear and unified message that the international community will not tolerate attacks on the sovereignty of states or the deliberate targeting of civilians and critical infrastructure,” he said, adding that Iran is fully liable for all injury and damage caused to affected countries.
He said the UAE and other countries in the region had made “sincere and responsible efforts” to prevent escalation, but that Iran had chosen to isolate itself.
Al Musharakh said the attacks on the UAE had killed seven people and injured 142 others, calling them “a brutal and unprovoked act of aggression” and a violation of the country’s sovereignty and the UN Charter.
He said the attacks endanger citizens and residents, threaten regional stability and the security of international navigation and global supply chains, and directly impact the global economy.
Al Musharakh called on the Human Rights Council to “characterize these violations in a manner that accurately reflects their nature and gravity and is consistent with international law and established facts”.
He added that the UAE “reaffirms its full right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty, national security, and territorial integrity”, in line with its right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
As Associate Editor, Sahim Salim helps tell the UAE story like no one else does — and leads a team of reporters that asks the questions to get news and headlines that matter.