The Secretary of Iran’s Expediency Council, Mohsen Rezaei, advised the officials of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) “against singing the same tune as the Zionist regime and to avoid hasty measures,” Iranian Press TV reported.

Rezaei made the remarks on Saturday in reaction to the UAE protesting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent visit to Iranian island of Abu Musa.

“The President’s trip to the Iranian island of Abu Musa to visit Iranian citizens was the right thing to do,” Fars News Agency quoted him as saying. “If they think Iran has become weak, [they] are mistaken. Today, Iran is very strong and will crush any [act of] aggression.” 

“Emirati officials had better apologize to Iran and not be dragged onto the same path as the Zionists because the region needs tranquility, peace and cooperation. If they have any objections, they can politely convey their objection to the Iranian government via diplomatic channels,” Rezaei said. 

“It would better for the UAE government to maintain honest and friendly relations with Iran and not repeat its [earlier] mistake of cooperating with [Iraq’s former dictator] Saddam Hussein,” the Iranian official continued. 

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Abu Musa Island on Wednesday as part of his tour of the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan. 

Following the visit, Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahayan criticized President Ahmadinejad’s visit, calling it a “violation of the UAE sovereignty over its territories.”