Iran sees UAE as ‘second Israel’ due to support for Jewish state

TEHRAN, May 13. /TASS/. The United Arab Emirates is essentially a "second Israel" because of its support for the Jewish state, Alireza Salimi, a member of the presidium of the Iranian parliament, said. "The United Arab Emirates can, in essence, be considered a second Israel, since ‘military’ Israel is located in the occupied Palestinian territories, while Abu Dhabi is viewed as the Jewish State’s economic wing," the Iranian parliament’s press service quoted him as saying. According to Salimi, the UAE authorities lack domestic support and no longer defend the country’s interests, instead relying on other powers and aligning themselves with the United States and Israel. On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, came under attack, after which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a large-scale retaliatory operation against Israel. US military facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia were also targeted. Iranian authorities additionally announced restrictions on vessels linked to the United States, Israel, and countries supporting actions against the Islamic Republic in the Strait of Hormuz.