Arms Race in Middle East Aimed at Keeping Peace – UAE Defense Official

An arms race started a long time ago, but the United Arab Emirates followed the policy of peace and was against violence and war, UAE Defense Ministry member told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Svetlana Alexandrova — An arms race in the Middle East after Iran signs a nuclear deal will be aimed at maintaining peace in the region, Maj. Gen. Abdullah Hashimi, the Executive Director for Strategic Analysis at the UAE Defense Ministry, told Sputnik on Thursday.

"It is going be some kind of [an] arms race to make sure that the area in the Middle East is always kept in peace and can defend itself," Hashimi said.

He said that an arms race started a long time ago, but the United Arab Emirates followed the policy of peace and was against violence and war.

"We have always been seeking… a peaceful solution in all areas," Hashimi said, adding that the UAE purchased weapons to defend itself, not to attack other states.

Hashimi also noted that the UAE had always supported international peacekeeping efforts.

On April 2, Iran and the P5+1 group of international negotiators, comprising Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, France and Germany, reached a framework nuclear agreement. The final comprehensive deal on Tehran's nuclear program is expected to be worked out and agreed upon by June 30.

On April 5, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran would lead to an arms race among the Sunni states and a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

On April 6, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the agreement with Tehran would, on the contrary, prevent an arms race in the region.