Khaberni - The President of the UAE, Mohammed bin Zayed, received US Senator Lindsey Graham at Qasr Al Shati in Abu Dhabi, and the meeting discussed the strategic cooperation and friendship relations between the UAE and the United States and their mutual keenness to enhance their partnerships to serve their common interests, according to the "WAM" agency.
The meeting also touched on "regional developments and efforts concerning them alongside a number of issues and topics related to regional security and stability, and the joint work to consolidate peace in the Middle East and the world,".
Graham said: "There is planning for military action against Iran but the decision has not yet been made".
He considered that "those who say they do not want to change the regime in Iran are mistaken".
Graham added: "We might need a joint partnership between Israel and the United States to help weaken the Iranian regime's ability to kill its people".
The meeting was attended by Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Zayed, Vice President of the Presidential Palace for Special Affairs, and Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun, advisor to the President of the UAE, along with several ministers and senior officials.
After the meeting, Graham wrote on the "X" platform, saying: "To everyone promoting false narratives against the United Arab Emirates and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed personally: Your claims are baseless. I met him today for an hour and a half. Not only he is well and alive, but he is also in his best mental state as I always knew him. Those who see it necessary to attack Mohammed bin Zayed and the UAE for doing what they believe is right, do so at their own responsibility.".
He added: "Our meeting today was productive and enjoyable. We discussed the historic moment the region is going through, and I affirmed to him my appreciation for his courage and vision in building an Islamic state that is open to the world, based on the principle of mutual benefit, whether for the people of the UAE or for everyone who visits and invests in it.".
He said: "True that there are other voices within the Islamic world that carry a pessimistic and dark vision, but I see them as a minority," considering that "Mohammed bin Zayed's decision to adopt the peace agreements known as the (Abraham Accords), and the attempt to modernize his country while preserving its religious identity, represents the greatest change I have seen in the Middle East in my lifetime," indicating that "the efforts made by the Emirates to integrate the region into the global system are among the most courageous and influential decisions made by a leader in the Middle East. And I was frank with him that this vision cannot be achieved by the effort of one country alone; instead, other countries in the region must engage in it seriously, not just play a spectator role."
And Graham addressed the people of the region, saying: "We are at a historic moment. President Donald Trump wants the Middle East to resemble the Emirates more than it resembles the regime of the Supreme Leader in Iran. The region can only progress if it adopts a vision that leans towards the light instead of returning to the darkness," asserting that "the vision of the Emirates for the future of the Middle East, alongside the 2030 vision previously presented by the Saudi Crown Prince, represents a positive path that will benefit the region and the United States as well."
He continued: "However, there are forces recently seeking to undermine this reformist orientation, by returning to old methods and narrow political practices. These movements have not gone unnoticed, and if continued, they may cause significant damage to the best opportunity the region has seen in decades to achieve real change for the better."
And Graham concluded by saying: "To those who believe that the region will flourish with the continuation of the Supreme Leader's regime in Iran: I fundamentally disagree with you, as if this regime continues to rule, and continues to oppress and marginalize the Iranian people, it will threaten everything that has been worked on, including the Abraham Accords," addressing to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by saying: "I look forward to meeting the Crown Prince who previously demonstrated courage and wisdom, and adopted a vision that can bring about a historic transformation in the region, and time will reveal what will happen to it.".
