US congressman: UAE believes it has right to enrich uranium like Iran
The UAE’s ambassador in Washington has hinted that his country is no longer bound by its commitment not to enrich uranium, as Iran is allowed to carry out such enrichment under its recent deal with Western powers, according to a senior American congressman.
"He told me, 'Your worst enemy has achieved this right to enrich. It's a right to enrich now that your friends are going to want, too, and we won't be the only country,'" said Rep. Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, regarding the recent comment made by Yousef al-Otaiba during a telephone call. However, the UAE embassy said that its official policy has not changed.
In a 2009 agreement with the US, the UAE promised not to engage in uranium enrichment or the reprocessing of spent fuel to extract plutonium.