In a Newsweek report published on June 26, 2026, titled “Where the New Middle East Order Stands Today,” by Tom O’Connor, deputy editor for national security and foreign policy, on the regional alignments taking shape after the war with Iran, Dr. Salem Alketbi discussed the UAE’s strategic outlook and the lessons the war revealed for Gulf security.
What he told Newsweek
“The war has reinforced the broader principle that bilateral relationships should contribute to regional stability rather than regional polarization.”
“The UAE continues to view diplomacy, economic cooperation, and de-escalation as complementary rather than contradictory objectives.”
“The war has reinforced rather than transformed the UAE’s strategic outlook… Dialogue remains essential, but recent events have demonstrated that dialogue alone cannot provide durable regional stability without credible deterrence, respect for sovereignty, and adherence to international law.”
“The war has fundamentally altered the regional security environment… Rather than strengthening competing axes, it has demonstrated the limits of regional polarization and the high cost of military confrontation. It has also reinforced an important lesson: Gulf security cannot be treated as a secondary issue within broader U.S.-Iran or Israel-Iran calculations.”
