Dahi Khalfan
Photo: AFP
Dubai police chief warns of Gulf war
Lt.-Gen. Dahi Khalfan says recent tensions in Persian Gulf indicative of possible regional conflict; says UAE won't allow Iran to use Strait of Hormuz as a weapon
Dubai Police Chief Lieutenant-General Dahi Khalfan warned Thursday that the recent tensions in the Persian Gulf may be the signs of a brewing regional conflict.
"The world will not allow Iran to block the Strait of Hormuz. But Tehran is capable of narrowing it to the maximum.
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"In the 1980s, it attacked ships which were afraid the cross the strait. This caused an increase in shipping insurance to enter the Gulf. Prices went up and the region became tense. So Iran is capable of fomenting tension in the region," he said.
Khalfan urged the UAE to find an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz: "We in the Gulf have cards in our hands that allow us to marginalize the role of the Strait and undermine its importance. If we use our Red Sea ports and the Gulf of Oman in Fujairah, for example, our oil and goods can pass through," he added.
"We have to tell Iran that we will open other gates and avoid the Strait if Tehran tries to close it. We have to be serious and prevent Iran from wielding the strait as its weapon against us," he stated.
Khalfan also said that in his opinion' Iran's nuclear program did not bear peaceful purposes, adding that the UAE is watching the situation closely.
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