Similar to Kurdistan Region, Iran views UAE as ‘hostile base’ for enemies: Iranian lawmaker

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A hardline Iranian lawmaker warned on Thursday that Tehran now views the United Arab Emirates as a “hostile base” for its enemies, saying the Gulf country could face the same treatment as the Kurdistan Region.

Ali Khezrian accused the UAE of taking direct action against Iran during the coordinated US-Israeli war on the Islamic republic, adding that Tehran no longer considers the Emirates a neighboring state.

“Iran's security equation regarding the Kurdistan Region will now also include the UAE,” Khezrian told Iranian state media on Thursday. “At any moment, if the Islamic Republic senses an enemy base in the UAE, just as it attacks enemy bases in Erbil, it will take action and strike it.”

Khezrian is a member of Iran’s parliamentary National Security Committee.

The Kurdistan Region has faced a sustained wave of aerial attacks in recent months by Iran and Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq following the war between Tehran and Washington. Since February 28, when the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran began, hundreds of drones and missiles have struck the Region, with repeated attacks continuing even after a ceasefire was declared on April 7.

Kurdish authorities have repeatedly condemned the strikes, stressing that the Kurdistan Region is not a party to the conflict. Iranian officials, however, continue to accuse Iranian Kurdish opposition groups of threatening the country’s national security, claims Tehran has used to justify continued cross-border attacks despite the fragile truce.

On April 24, the Kurdistan Region strongly rejected Iranian allegations that it hosts foreign intelligence training facilities.

“The Kurdistan Regional Government rejects these allegations and emphasizes that there are no headquarters, facilities, or training centers affiliated with any foreign intelligence service operating within the Kurdistan Region,” the Kurdistan Region’s Department of Foreign Relations (DFR) said in a statement. “Linking the Kurdistan Region to such matters is unfounded and does not reflect the reality on the ground.”

Tensions between Tehran and Abu Dhabi escalated after Iran launched missile and drone strikes on the UAE earlier this week, marking the first such attack in nearly a month since the ceasefire ended weeks of fighting. The strikes drew widespread regional and international condemnation, with officials across Europe and the Middle East urging Tehran to de-escalate and return to diplomatic negotiations.

Khezrian said Iran’s new stance means the UAE could be targeted whenever Tehran deems it necessary.

“In my opinion, what is happening with the Emirates is similar to Iran’s military doctrine regarding the Kurdistan Region,” he said.

He added that Tehran “no longer sees the United Arab Emirates as a neighbor.”

“They are considered a hostile base,” Khezrian said, arguing that the UAE’s “glass economy” is too fragile to withstand prolonged tensions.

Khezrian also claimed that disputes between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over Sudan, Yemen, and North Africa have left Abu Dhabi increasingly isolated and under pressure in the region.

On Friday, the UAE said that its air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles and three drones launched from Iran, injuring three people moderately, adding it has intercepted 551 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles, and 2,263 drones since the start of the Iranian attacks.