ANKARA

Iran sent a direct threatening message to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that it will attack the Gulf state in case the Islamic Republic came under US attack from Emirati territory, the Middle East Eye (MEE) news website has reported.

The London-based portal said that Tehran threatened Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed that Iran will strike the Gulf state in case it is attacked by the US from the UAE.

"We will hold you responsible for the assassination of [top nuclear scientist Mohsen] Fakhrizadeh,” reads the Iranian message to bin Zayed.

Fakhrizadeh was assassinated in Tehran last week in an attack Iran has blamed on its arch-enemy Israel.

According to MEE, Iran’s personal contact with bin Zayed came just hours before the UAE issued a statement on Sunday condemning Fakhrizadeh’s assassination, which the foreign ministry warned could “further fuel conflict in the region”.

Israel, for its part, put its embassies and diplomats on high alert over fears of any Iranian retaliation to the killing of Fakhrizadeh.

Israeli media also reported that Israel’s security officials were worried that their nationals could be at risk of reprisals in the UAE.

The UAE and Israel established diplomatic relations under a US-sponsored agreement signed in September to normalize their ties.