Iran Says Israeli Presence in UAE is a Threat

MIDDLE EAST - DUBAI, April 9 (Reuters) - The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards navy said on Tuesday Israel's presence in the United Arab Emirates was a threat to Tehran and this "should not happen".

Iran has threatened to retaliate for suspected Israeli airstrikes on its consulate in Syria's capital last week that killed seven Revolutionary Guards officers including two senior commanders, stoking tensions between the Middle East arch enemies already simmering over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The UAE, situated across the Gulf from Iran, became the most prominent Arab nation to forge diplomatic ties with Israel in 30 years under a U.S.-brokered accord in 2020, though Abu Dhabi also has normal diplomatic and commercial relations with Tehran.

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"We know that the Zionists (Israel) were not brought to the UAE for economic purposes but rather for security and military work. This is a threat to us and should not happen," Revolutionary Guards Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri said, according to Iran's semi-official Student News Agency.

Tangsiri added that the Gulf, as well as the Gulf of Oman outside the Strait of Hormuz through which a major amount of the world's seaborne oil passes, were no places for Israelis.

He did not indicate whether Iran was considering any action in the region over Israel's presence.

"We do not get hit without striking back, but we are also not hasty in our retaliation," Tangsiri said, a few days after a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader warned that Israeli embassies were no longer safe.

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The UAE's normalisation with Israel paved the way for several other Arab states to follow suit, breaking a taboo on diplomatic ties without the creation of a Palestinian state.

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; editing by Mark Heinrich)