WASHINGTON (Reuters) - There are doubts about how much the United States can count on UAE support if current tensions in the Gulf lead to war with Iran, officials and analysts were quoted as saying.
Abu Dhabi, which backed US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal with Iran, had no intention of such a withdrawal to confront the Gulf, the UAE officials told the newspaper.
The Washington Post noted, according to locals and diplomats, the regional ambitions of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and that it has moved far from the vision of the state for itself a beacon of prosperity and stability.
The newspaper also quoted Emirati diplomats as deeply dismayed when Trump said he was 10 minutes away from a strike on Iran without informing his UAE allies.
The United Arab Emirates, one of the United States' strongest allies in the Middle East, is behind Trump's hardline approach to Iran, but now publicly disagrees with Washington.
That would raise questions about Abu Dhabi's ability to be a reliable ally in the event of war between the United States and Iran, she said, pointing to its regional ambition diminished as tensions between Washington and Iran rise.
The UAE has already sent a Coast Guard delegation to Tehran to discuss maritime security, putting it at odds with Washington's goal of isolating Iran.
"The UAE does not want war. The most important thing is security, stability and peace in this part of the world," the paper quoted a UAE official as saying on condition of anonymity.
Diplomats and analysts say the possibility of relying on UAE support in case tensions lead to war with Iran is now in doubt.