In a quiet government office, uae minister of state lana nusseibeh spoke plainly about a country under pressure: more than 1, 800 drones and missiles have been projected at the UAE since the war began, several landmark hotels and key infrastructure have been hit, and thousands of flights were cancelled. Her message mixed warning, legal posture and reassurance: the UAE will recover.
What did Uae Minister Of State Lana Nusseibeh say about the attacks?
Lana Nusseibeh called on Iran to end its strikes on countries in the region and said that “Iran is responsible for damage it has caused. The civilian infrastructure, the hotels, the ports. ” She described the extent of the attacks as a “shock” and vowed that her country would “bounce back. ” Nusseibeh said, “We were clear prior to the start of this escalation that the UAE would not allow its territory or airspace to be used in any attacks against Iran. “
On the question of retaliation, she declined to commit to immediate military action but was explicit about a legal stance: “We will reserve the right for collective self defence under international law. ” That formulation signals both restraint and a retained sovereign option to respond if conditions change.
How have the strikes affected daily life and the economy?
The attacks have been tangible: some of the UAE’s best known buildings have been damaged, including Fairmont The Palm hotel and the Burj Al Arab hotel. Drones have landed near Dubai International Airport and thousands of flights to the UAE have been cancelled. Trade through the region’s biggest port, Jebel Ali in Dubai, has been affected, and most shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has halted. Other Gulf states — Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman — have also been targeted.
Nusseibeh pointed to recent economic data as a reason for confidence, citing economic growth of 5. 1% last year and saying the country is “resilient. ” Still, the immediate human consequences — disrupted travel, damaged civilian infrastructure and the uncertainty felt by residents and businesses — are stark and ongoing.
What legal and civic issues did she address, and what questions remain?
Nusseibeh was asked about a separate domestic legal matter: a 60-year-old British man has been charged under cyber-crime laws in Dubai after allegedly filming Iranian missiles over the city. She declined to comment on the specifics, saying she was “not aware of all the details, ” and denied suggestions that the government was trying to obscure the reality of life in the UAE.
Her intervention combined a public relations aim with a legal framing: holding Iran responsible for damage while underscoring the country’s commitment to legal norms when considering any defensive action. The balance she described—between protecting civilians and preserving legal and diplomatic options—defines the government’s current posture.
Drawing on her background as the UAE’s former ambassador to the UN, Nusseibeh’s voice carried both diplomatic weight and domestic reassurance. She repeated that the UAE would “bounce back, ” a phrase meant to steady businesses, residents and international partners watching the disruption unfold.
As the region waits to see whether strikes will continue or abate, the minister’s words frame the choice ahead: seek de-escalation from the source of the strikes, repair and protect civilian life and infrastructure, and retain legal rights to self-defence should the situation cross defined thresholds.
Back in the office where the interview began, the same calm resolution lingers: evacuation plans, repair crews and legal consultations are part of daily work now, even as officials speak of recovery. The question that hangs in the air is both practical and political — can resilience be sustained if attacks persist, and will the call for an end to strikes be answered?
