By Hammad Kahlun
Scandinavian news Finland
Tehran, June 8, 2026 Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei issued a sharp diplomatic warning to Egypt Rafale on Monday, criticizing Cairo’s military coordination with the United Arab Emirates and calling out what he described as a failure to act in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
Baghaei Addresses Egypt-UAE Rafale Deployment
During his weekly press conference, Baghaei referenced Egypt’s Rafale recent decision to deploy advanced Rafale fighter jets to the UAE as part of a multinational air-defense shield designed to counter regional drone and missile threats.
The Iranian spokesperson framed the move as a form of indirect alignment with what Tehran characterizes as enemy forces namely Israel and the United States.
Iran Accuses Some Regional States of Enabling “Illegal Attacks”
Baghaei stated that certain regional governments have allowed their territory, facilities, and sovereignty to be used in support of what he called illegal attacks against a Muslim country a reference to Iran.
“Some countries should be careful not to knowingly or unknowingly play into the enemy’s hands,” he said, directing the warning broadly at Arab and Islamic nations that Iran believes are drifting toward strategic alignment with Washington and Tel Aviv.
Sharp Criticism Over Gaza and Islamic Solidarity
The Iranian spokesperson also leveled pointed criticism at Egypt’s Rafale posture toward the Gaza conflict, now in its third year.
He stated that Palestinians in Gaza have been subjected to what he termed “open genocide” for over three years, while neighboring countries a clear reference to Egypt have taken no meaningful action despite sharing a border.
Baghaei added that credibility, in Iran’s view, comes from correctly identifying friends and enemies not from what he described as threatening an Islamic country confronting Israel.
Iran Reaffirms Commitment to Regional Relations
Despite the sharp language, Baghaei maintained that Iran remains committed to good neighborly relations and strong ties with all countries and peoples of the region.
He framed the remarks as advisory rather than hostile, presenting them as a counsel to nations that claim to care about Islamic and Arab unity.
Context and Background
“Cairo’s transfer of Rafale jets to Abu Dhabi points to an evolving strategic military relationship between the two Arab states.”
Egypt received its first Rafale aircraft from France in recent years, making the UAE deployment a signal of deepening military interoperability between Cairo and Abu Dhabi.
Iran has been under sustained pressure from U.S. and Israeli operations in the region, and Tehran has consistently portrayed Arab states cooperating with Western defense frameworks as undermining Muslim solidarity.
For background on Egypt-UAE defense ties, see our report on Gulf military cooperation and the regional Rafale procurement deals.
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