Abu Dhabi says fresh US strikes on Iran prepare the UAE better

. UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei told attendees at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference that the region would be better ready if the United States renewed its attacks on Iran.

. Yet, he stressed that the situation involving the US-Israeli conflict with Iran remains completely unpredictable.

. The minister’s comments come amid fears of a massive escalation following the US midterm elections, with rumors suggesting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed President Donald Trump to launch strikes immediately.

. The diplomatic front is also moving, as the Iranian delegation left Doha today after leaving behind a draft peace plan for Washington to scrutinize.

The escalating regional violence is real, with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy Command recently claiming 11 oil tankers caught fire or sank in the Strait of Hormuz over the last nine days. Meanwhile, CENTCOM reported that 144 vessels have been redirected in the strait since the conflict began.

Further complicating the scene, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that signals about new military action against Iran are deeply concerning. This warning arrives as Chinese Special Envoy Zhai Jun is set to travel to Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia in November to push for de-escalation.