TEHRAN -- Washington is seeking to exploit false-flag operations and unsubstantiated accusations against Iran to undermine Tehran’s relations with neighboring countries, says a former Iranian ambassador to Kuwait.
The United Arab Emirates claimed on Tuesday that its forces had detected and intercepted two ballistic missiles allegedly launched from Iran. The UAE provided no further details about the missiles’ flight paths or any possible damage. It subsequently announced the suspension of trade and financial ties with Iran. Iran rejected the allegation, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei describing the UAE’s claim as “completely baseless.”
Reza Mirabian, a West Asia affairs analyst and former Iranian ambassador to Kuwait, said the United States has failed to achieve its objectives through military confrontation and is now seeking to create tensions between Tehran and its regional neighbors. 
“The Americans did not achieve results in their war against Iran, and the pressure they designed has so far produced no outcome,” Mirabian said. “They are currently designing plans to create disorder in relations between Iran and neighboring countries.”
According to Mirabian, Washington is seeking to preserve the image of U.S. power in West Asia despite a decline in American regional influence. 
The UAE’s move came amid a broader series of incidents in which Iran has been blamed for attacks that Tehran has rejected as false-flag operations. 
A day earlier in Iraq, a drone attack targeted the office of the Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister. Iranian officials rejected claims of involvement.
Mirabian said the UAE is using the missile allegation as a pretext to suspend trade relations with Iran. However, he added that Tehran has already reduced its dependence on the UAE in economic affairs. 
“Since the beginning of the 40-day war on Iran, the UAE’s role in Iran’s financial affairs has diminished significantly,” Mirabian said. “Many of these economic activities have already shifted to other neighboring countries.”
The former ambassador warned that similar incidents could emerge elsewhere in the Persian Gulf, with Iran once again being blamed. 
“We must remain vigilant, particularly in the media sphere,” he said. Mirabian also stated that the UAE could not have independently taken such a major decision without U.S. approval. 
“They are playing on America’s field and fundamentally cannot make such a major decision on their own,” he said.
According to Mirabian, Persian Gulf Arab states understand that Iran will remain their neighbor even as the United States eventually reduces its presence in the region. 
He noted that U.S. warships were no longer able to enter the Persian Gulf as they had previously done. “The trend will naturally be toward a reduction in America’s presence and influence in the region,” he said.
Turning to the possibility of renewed hostilities, Mirabian said Iran is preparing for various scenarios but stated that the opposing side has limited capacity for further escalation. 
He pointed to domestic pressures facing U.S. President Donald Trump, including declining U.S. oil reserves and rising gasoline prices. 
“That is why they have turned to deflection and rumor-spreading. They want to claim the Strait of Hormuz as their own sphere, create false narratives and direct false-flag operations to maintain an image of power. But in reality, on the ground, there is nothing they can add to what they previously had.”