UAE's Gargash says US-Iran Hormuz deal chances are ‘50/50’

Abu Dhabi: Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the UAE President, said on Friday that the chances of the United States and Iran reaching an agreement over the Strait of Hormuz are “50/50”, warning that another round of conflict between the two sides would further destabilise the region.IIn remarks carried by Sky News Arabia, Gargash said Iranian officials had “missed many opportunities over the years because of their tendency to overestimate their cards”, adding: “I hope they do not do that this time.”He said the Iranian nuclear programme, once viewed by the UAE as a secondary concern, had now become its “number one concern”.“We see that Iran is capable of using any weapon in its possession, and this is something we have experienced,” Gargash said.The senior UAE official warned that renewed fighting between Washington and Tehran would only deepen regional complications, stressing that any political solution must address the root causes of the crisis in a way that avoids future escalation.Gargash said the UAE had been targeted by around 3,300 drones and missiles during the first 40 days of the war that began on February 28, adding that only about four per cent had breached air defence systems.He also said the Strait of Hormuz, which he described as having been “effectively closed” by Iran since the start of the conflict following Tehran’s announcement of a body to manage the waterway, must return to its previous status as an international maritime passage.“Negotiations aimed only at securing a ceasefire while planting the seeds of further conflict are not what we seek,” he said.“I believe the Strait of Hormuz must return to its previous state as an international waterway.”While American negotiators remain focused on the possibility of Iran developing a nuclear weapon, Gargash reiterated that the issue had become the UAE’s primary strategic concern.“The Iranian nuclear programme used to be our second or third concern. Today it is our first concern,” he said.“We have learned that Iran is willing to use any weapon available to it.”