Iranian military commander: ‘Tehran’s approach to the UAE will change’

A top Iranian military commander said Sunday that the country’s approach to the United Arab Emirates “will change” as the UAE formalizes diplomatic ties with Israel.

Major General Mohammad Bagheri said that his country will hold the UAE accountable for any issues that Iran’s government views as threats to national security, Reuters reported.

“Tehran’s approach to the UAE will change … If something happens in the Persian Gulf region and if our national security is damaged, however small, we will hold the UAE responsible for that and we will not tolerate it,” he said, according to Reuters.

His comments follow a landmark peace agreement reached last week that will result in the UAE becoming the first Arab nation to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a state since the 1994 Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty.

The deal was reached with the help of the Trump administration and U.S. negotiators, an effort that President Trump is expected to tout in the fall as part of his reelection bid.