Iran accuses France of ‘destabilising’ region by selling arms to Gulf

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) is greeted by Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan during his tour of the Emirates pavillion at the Dubai Expo on the first day of his Gulf tour on 3 December 2021. [THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images]

Iran yesterday accused France of “destabilising” the region by selling weapons to rival Gulf countries, three days after Paris signed a multi-billion-dollar contract with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the sale of 80 Rafale fighter jets.

“We must not ignore France’s role in destabilising the region,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told a news conference.

“We expected France to be more responsible. The militarisation of our region is unacceptable and the weapons they sell in the region are the source of turmoil,” he added.

On Friday, France announced the signing of a €17 billion ($19.20 billion) contract with the UAE for the sale of 80 Rafale combat aircraft and 12 Caracal military transport helicopters.

Khatibzadeh said, “billions of dollars’ worth of weapons are being sold to Arab countries” without sparking global concern while Iran’s missile programme is condemned by world powers.

The Iranian official’s remarks came as UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan was on a visit to Tehran in efforts to improve relations downgraded five years ago.

READ: UAE official says French Rafale planes no substitute for US fighters

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