US behind false flag operations to disrupt Iran’s regional ties: Former ambassador

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.

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 pressure against Iran 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 was quoted as saying by IRNA.

“They are currently designing plans to create disorder and disruption in relations between Iran and neighboring countries and the countries of the southern Persian Gulf.”

According to Mirabian, Washington is also seeking to preserve the image of US power in West Asia despite what he described as a decline in American regional influence.

The UAE provided no further details about the missiles’ flight paths, their alleged targets or any possible damage. It subsequently announced the suspension of trade and financial ties with Iran.

Iran rejected the allegation. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei described the UAE’s claim as “completely baseless,” saying such accusations undermine efforts to build trust among regional countries and prevent further escalation.

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 Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the residence of the local intelligence chief.

The attack was attributed to Iran in some reports, while Iranian officials rejected the claim and described it as another false-flag operation.

Mirabian said the UAE is now using the missile allegation as a pretext to suspend trade and financial relations with Iran. However, he added that Tehran has already taken measures to reduce its dependence on the UAE in economic and financial affairs.

“Since the beginning of the 40-day war on Iran, the UAE’s role in Iran’s financial and economic affairs has effectively diminished significantly,” Mirabian said.

“Iran had been preparing for this for months, and many of these economic activities have already shifted from the UAE 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, and understand that these actions are taking place within the framework of a broader regional design,” he said.

Mirabian also stated that the UAE could not have independently taken such a major decision without US approval.

“They are playing on America’s field and fundamentally cannot make such a major decision on their own,” he said.

He added that tensions could arise over vessels violating regulations in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, but stressed that a direct Iranian attack on targets inside the UAE would constitute an act of war.

“Such an action would mean war, and the war has stopped. There is an unwritten ceasefire,” Mirabian said.

Mirabian then linked the same pressure campaign to the Strait of Hormuz, saying even Oman’s current talks with Iran are being conducted under US pressure.

“Even during these talks, Oman is being threatened that it must not cross the negotiating red lines,” he said. “These are not decisions made by Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE or others. This is a regional design that the Americans have initiated.”

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.

“They know that they will have to live alongside and next to Iran in the future,” he said. “Many officials in these countries have themselves said that Iran will remain in the region and America will leave.”

However, he said, political and security ties with Washington would make such a shift a gradual process.

Against this backdrop, Mirabian stated that the regional shift away from dependence on Washington has already begun, pointing to attacks targeting US military positions across the region as its first major stage.

“The first major step was taken by targeting American bases across the region, and that strong support structure has been taken away from them,” he said.

He also noted that US warships and supply vessels carrying weapons 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, until the countries of the region achieve greater political independence and develop the will to act independently,” he said.

Turning to the possibility of renewed hostilities, Mirabian said Iran was preparing for various scenarios but stated that the opposing side has limited capacity for further escalation.

“The Islamic Republic is preparing itself for any possibility, but based on our assessments, the other side does not have a high capacity for taking risks,” he said, citing severe attrition in military capabilities, weaponry and manpower.

He also pointed to domestic political and economic pressures facing US President Donald Trump, including the November midterm elections, declining US oil reserves and rising gasoline prices.

“These factors show that the United States is in a complicated and unfavorable situation,” Mirabian said.

“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 in the media and direct false-flag operations in order to maintain and project an image of power.”

“But in reality, on the ground, there is nothing they can add to what they previously had,” he said.

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