X/@Abdulkhaleq_UAE & Staff Sgt. Chris Thornbury/U.S. Air Force via AP

United Arab Emirates (UAE) University professor Abdulkhaleq Abdulla declared on Sunday that it was “time to think about closing the American bases” in the country after President Donald Trump pulled the region into a war with Iran.

“This is what I told Reuters today: The UAE no longer needs America to defend it, as it has proven during the Iranian aggression that it is capable of defending itself with distinction,” Abdulla, a former adviser to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, said in a statement. “What the UAE needs is to acquire only the best and latest weapons that America has. Therefore, it is time to think about closing the American bases, as they are a burden and not a strategic asset.”

The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that the UAE was in talks with the Trump administration about a potential currency swap, which would protect the nation’s economy should the war against Iran continue to drag on.

“The talks highlighted the U.A.E.’s concern that the war could inflict major damage on its economy and its position as a global financial hub, depleting its foreign reserves and scaring away investors who once saw it as a stable and secure place for their money,” the Journal reported, adding that “Emirati officials told the U.S. officials that if the U.A.E. runs short of dollars, it may be forced to use Chinese yuan or other countries’ currencies for oil sales and other transactions.”

Since the outbreak of Trump’s war against Iran, many U.S. military bases in the region have been struck by Iranian missiles and drones.

UAE oil facilities have also been damaged during the war.

Last month, the Trump administration forced through more than $23 billion in weapons sales to Middle Eastern allies currently under attack by Iran, including the UAE.

According to the New York Times, the UAE is set to receive Patriot missile systems, drones, Chinook helicopters, air-to-air missiles, and a missile defense radar.

The post UAE Professor Says It’s ‘Time to Think About Closing the American Bases’ After Trump’s Iran War: ‘They Are a Burden’ first appeared on Mediaite.