United Arab Emirates Highlights Rising Tensions In The Middle East: 2,800 Iranian Missile And Drone Attacks In 40 Days, 90% Targeted Civilian Infrastructure

United Arab Emirates has been through a lot in the past 40 days. And now, one of its top officials is speaking out regarding the loss that UAE has faced in the US-Iran war and the numbers are alarming.

Reem Al Hashimy, the UAE’s minister of state for international cooperation, appeared on ABC’s This Week on Sunday (19th April 2026) and revealed that the country had been hit with over 2,800 missiles and drones since the war between the US, Israel, and Iran began in late February. More than 90% of those, she said, were aimed at civilian infrastructure, not military targets.

That’s a staggering figure. Homes, buildings, ports, airports, not army bases.

Al Hashimy did not mince words when describing what Iran was trying to do. She said Iran was seeking to destroy the UAE’s “model of prosperity and tolerance.” She then drew a sharp contrast between the two countries, where their money went, and what it was built.

“We used our oil wealth to build an economic powerhouse. They used their wealth for nuclear programs that are nefarious, for missiles, drones, proxies, etc.,” she told host Jonathan Karl. “So, whereas we tried to become and have become an international, global, responsible player, they are a pariah state. And they wanted to break that model, but they underestimated our resolve.”

Strong words. But the UAE has a reason to be angry. The Gulf state, like many of its neighbours, initially opposed the war when the US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran in late February. But as the attacks kept coming, its tone shifted.

UAE Pushes Back as 90% of Iranian Strikes Hit Civilian Targets

Then came the question everyone was curious about — has Iran really changed? Trump had been saying there was “regime change” in Iran. Al Hashimy wasn’t so sure.

“I know that personalities have changed. You have different characters that are currently in place,” she said. “But how has that changed the character of the Revolutionary Guard? That’s yet to see. It doesn’t seem very hopeful, though. Right now.”

Meanwhile, on the same morning, Trump said the US would resume peace talks with Iranian officials in Pakistan on Monday, after an earlier round of negotiations failed to make any real progress.

Trump’s Threats and the UAE’s Careful Line on Iran

There’s also been controversy over Trump’s own language. He had previously threatened to destroy Iranian civilian infrastructure and wipe out “a whole civilization” if Iran refused to open the Strait of Hormuz, comments that drew sharp criticism from Democrats and human rights groups. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, also speaking Sunday, said “all options are on the table.”

Al Hashimy was asked directly whether the UAE was worried about those threats. Her answer was careful but clear. The UAE supports pressure but not attacks on ordinary Iranian people.

“Ultimately, we don’t want to hurt the Iranian people. That’s very important to mention. But at the same time, it’s the Revolutionary Guard that have taken forward a military stance and a posture not against the US and Israel alone, but against the very neighbourhood that they operate in through the Gulf states.”

Also Read: ‘The Iranian Crew Refused To Listen’: Trump Violates Ceasefire, Reveals US Navy Has Taken Custody Of Iranian Vessel By Blowing A Hole In The Engine Room Near Hormuz Strait