The Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Indonesia, Abdulla Salem Aldhaheri, has issued a firm and data-driven clarification regarding the ongoing conflict involving Iran in the Middle East. Speaking before an audience of media figures and representatives from religious organizations in Jakarta on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, Aldhaheri emphasized that the crisis is fundamentally not rooted in religion.

The Ambassador called on the global community—including Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation—to assess the situation objectively, relying solely on verifiable facts rather than emotional or sectarian narratives.

Rejecting the "Religious War" Framing

In his address, Aldhaheri specifically challenged what he described as a growing yet misleading narrative: the assumption that Iran’s military actions constitute a form of defense on behalf of specific Islamic factions or the broader Muslim world.

"Attempts to frame this conflict as a holy war or a religious war are deceptive and do not reflect reality," Aldhaheri stated firmly. "This is a matter of security, sovereignty, and international law—not religion."

He warned that such distorted perceptions risk inflaming an already volatile situation, potentially triggering unintended consequences both within the Middle East and in other Muslim-majority countries far from the conflict zone.

Data-Driven Evidence: 85% of Attacks Target Muslim Nations

To reinforce his argument, Aldhaheri presented statistical evidence that he said had been compiled from regional security monitoring agencies. According to the Ambassador, the vast majority of Iranian military strikes have been directed not at Israel or Western powers, but at fellow Muslim-majority nations in the immediate vicinity.

"Recent data shows that approximately 85 percent of Iranian missiles and drones have been directed at Muslim countries in the Gulf region and Jordan," Aldhaheri revealed. "Only about 15 percent have targeted Israel."

This statistic, he argued, dismantles any claim that Iran is acting as a defender of Islam or Muslim interests. Instead, it demonstrates a pattern of aggression against neighboring states that share the same faith—nations such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Jordan.

Why This Distinction Matters Now

The Ambassador’s statement comes at a critical juncture. As tensions between Iran and US-backed allies continue to escalate—with the Strait of Hormuz blockade, threats of strikes on Iranian power plants, and ongoing missile interceptions across the Gulf—fears are growing that the conflict could be misinterpreted along sectarian lines.

If left uncorrected, such misinterpretation could trigger instability far beyond the Middle East. For countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Bangladesh—all with large Muslim populations—a false narrative of "Islam under attack" could inadvertently fuel domestic polarization, radicalization, or even proxy sympathies.

Aldhaheri’s explicit rejection of the "religious war" framing signals a broader Gulf position: that the confrontation with Iran is political, strategic, and legal—not theological. It is about Iran’s revolutionary expansionism, its missile program, its nuclear ambitions, and its disruption of maritime chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz.

Indonesia’s Stake in an Accurate Narrative

For Indonesia, the UAE Ambassador’s choice of audience was deliberate. By speaking to media figures and representatives from religious organizations—including likely leaders from Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s two largest Islamic civil society groups—Aldhaheri acknowledged the weight that religious leaders carry in shaping public opinion.

Misinformation about the religious dimensions of the conflict could unintentionally ignite domestic tensions in Indonesia, a pluralistic nation that has long prided itself on moderate Islam. The Ambassador’s message was clear: do not let Iran’s actions be painted as a defense of Islam, because the data proves otherwise.

International Law Over Sectarian Allegiance

Throughout his address, Aldhaheri returned to a central theme: the primacy of international law and national sovereignty. He urged global stakeholders, including journalists and religious scholars, to evaluate the conflict based on documented actions rather than identity-based affiliations.

"When we look at who is attacking whom, and who is being attacked, the facts speak for themselves," he said. "The vast majority of victims in this conflict—on both sides of the strikes—are Muslims. This is a tragedy of regional security, not a clash of civilizations."

He also reiterated the UAE’s longstanding position that Gulf nations had warned Washington about the consequences of waging war on Iran before the conflict broke out. Now that the war has entered its sixth week, the UAE finds itself on the front line, intercepting Iranian missiles and drones daily.

Conclusion: Facts Over Framing

As diplomatic efforts continue to mediate a ceasefire—with Pakistan, Egypt, and Oman facilitating communications between Tehran and Washington—the UAE’s message to Indonesia and the wider Muslim world is unequivocal:

Reducing the Iran conflict to a religious battle serves no one except those seeking to deepen divisions. A sober, data-driven understanding—rooted in verifiable evidence such as the 85% statistic—is the only responsible path forward for both regional and global stakeholders.

For Indonesian policymakers, religious leaders, and the media, the Ambassador’s statement offers a clear framework: judge the conflict by actions and alliances, not by faith. The war in the Middle East is not Islam vs. the West. It is, according to the UAE, a crisis of security, sovereignty, and international law—fueled by one nation’s regional ambitions at the expense of its Muslim neighbors.