The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday issued a pointed call for de-escalation between Iran and the United States, warning that the Middle East cannot absorb another war as threats and preparations mount ahead of renewed talks.

Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Anwar Gargash, adviser to the UAE president, stressed that the region has already paid a heavy price for repeated confrontations.

“I think that the region has gone through various calamitous confrontations,” Gargash said. “I don’t think we need another one.”