Tehran: The United Arab Emirates has warned against any Israeli attempt to annex the West Bank, calling it a ‘red line.’

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, UAE Assistant Minister for Political Affairs Lana Nusseibeh said any such move by Tel Aviv would endanger the US-sponsored Abraham Accords under which the UAE normalized ties with Israel. Nusseibeh said annexation of the West Bank would constitute a red line for the United Arab Emirates and would undermine the vision and spirit of the Abraham Accords. She called on Israel to suspend annexation plans and said Abu Dhabi viewed the Accords as a means to enable support for the Palestinian people and their aspiration for an independent state.

The warning followed an Israeli announcement about a decision to annex parts of the West Bank, with two Israeli ministers, including the foreign minister, telling European officials that if they recognize the State of Palestine, Tel Aviv would move to annex parts of the West Bank.

In 2020, the UAE and Bahrain were the first two Arab states to sign the Abraham Accords, followed by Morocco. The normalization deals drew criticism from Palestinians, who called them “a stab in the back.”

Sudan signed a similar agreement with Israel in 2021, received a loan worth $1.5 billion from Washington, and was removed from a US list of terrorist countries.