NYN | News
The UAE submitted a request to the United States today, Wednesday, for a defense agreement to provide protection in case of an attack, following the announcement by Sana’a government forces of the deployment of a domestically-made hypersonic missile.
This was stated by Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, political advisor to UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, in a post on his “X” account.
Bin Zayed’s advisor said that the UAE is currently seeking to obtain a “binding and documented defense agreement from the US, explicitly stating that any attack on the UAE is an attack on America, nothing less.”
This comes shortly after the spokesperson for Sana’a government forces announced “for the first time the identity of the missile that targeted the Israeli ship (MSC SARAH V) in the Arabian Sea,” indicating that the missile is a “locally-made hypersonic missile with advanced technology, high accuracy, and long range.” He noted that “launch footage and other details will be released through the military media.”
Observers suggest that the advisor’s swift call for a defensive agreement requiring the US to defend the UAE in case of an attack stems from Emirati concerns following Sana’a’s announcement of possessing a hypersonic missile. They consider that the UAE could be an easy target for Sana’a forces if war resumes between the Saudi-led coalition, including the UAE, and Sana’a.