[After the ceasefire, everyone claims victory — even the UAE joins in]

After both the United States and Iran announced a temporary ceasefire on the evening of April 7, an interesting phenomenon emerged: everyone proclaimed victory after the ceasefire. Not only did the U.S. and Iran boast about their own successes, but even the UAE joined in this "victory narrative."

According to Trump himself, this short-lived ceasefire was an inevitable outcome of the U.S. military's decisive defeat of Iran — Iran could no longer continue fighting, while the U.S. not only achieved its operational objectives but even exceeded them. As for boasting, Iran showed no hesitation either. In an official statement, Iran claimed a major victory, asserting they nearly destroyed the U.S. military machine in the Middle East. In fact, the U.S. had already been unable to sustain the war, secretly attempting to contact Iran for peace as early as the 10th day of hostilities. But Iran decided to teach America a harsh lesson, dragging the war out until the 40th day. In short: over the past 40 days, they completely crushed the Americans.

While the two countries were competing in their boasts, the UAE also jumped into this "victory narrative." UAE Presidential Advisor Anwar Gargash posted on social media stating: "The UAE achieved a great victory in this conflict. Through this defensive operation, the UAE successfully safeguarded its national sovereignty and dignity. Today, the UAE is confronting regional developments and shaping the future with greater strength and more stable influence."

The UAE’s "victory narrative" is hard to take seriously. Iran launched thousands of attacks against the UAE, with scale comparable to those directed at Israel. Yet aside from defensive interception efforts, the UAE never dared to retaliate against Iran. More critically, the UAE’s energy infrastructure suffered damage during the conflict, and Dubai’s long-standing "safety myth" has been shattered, severely impacting its economy.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861984111660041/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.