A prominent billionaire from the United Arab Emirates has publicly criticized President Donald Trump over the conflict with Iran, warning that the decision to pursue war could endanger Gulf nations that did not seek the confrontation.
Khalaf al Habtoor, chairman of the Dubai based Al Habtoor Group, shared an open message directed at Trump on social media, raising concerns about the potential consequences for countries across the region.
“A direct question: Who gave you the authority to drag our region into a war with #Iran? And on what basis did you make this dangerous decision?” Habtoor wrote in the message addressed to “His Excellency President Donald Trump”.
He continued by questioning whether the possible fallout had been fully considered before military action began.
“Did you calculate the collateral damage before pulling the trigger? And did you consider that the first to suffer from this escalation will be the countries of the region itself!”
Habtoor is not a government official, but his comments are significant because of his close connections within the UAE’s leadership circles. Public criticism of foreign policy from high profile figures in the country is uncommon due to strict controls on public political expression.
The businessman also questioned whether outside pressure may have influenced the decision to escalate tensions.
“The peoples of this region have the right to ask as well: Was this your decision alone? Or did it come as a result of pressures from Netanyahu and his government?” he wrote.
“You have placed the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab countries at the heart of a danger they did not choose,” he added.
Habtoor has previously supported closer ties between Gulf states and Israel following the Abraham Accords.