President Bush urged Gulf allies of America to back his campaign against Iran yesterday, saying that the safety of the world was at stake. Speaking in Abu Dhabi, Mr Bush used the signature speech of his Middle East tour to denounce Tehran as the “world’s leading sponsor of state terror”.

His message, which included a reference to the importance of democracy in the traditionally autocratic region, came amid simmering tensions over last week’s face-off between Iranian and US naval vessels in the nearby Strait of Hormuz.

“Iran’s actions threaten the security of nations everywhere,” Mr Bush said. “So the United States is strengthening our longstanding security commitments with our friends in the Gulf, and rallying friends around the world to confront this danger before it’s too late.”

It was unclear how the United Arab Emirates – a staunch ally of the US – would react to Mr Bush’s request that it should play a bigger role in regional security. Leaders of the Gulf state are increasingly wary of the growing influence of Iran and see their stability as intimately linked to the US.

However, the booming economy of the UAE is closely tied to Iran, its biggest trading partner. Nearly half a million Iranians live in the Emirates, with about 10,000 Iranian companies operating in its commercial capital of Dubai.

When President Ahmadinejad of Iran visited last year, he was greeted with warm embraces from local rulers. They fear that a US attack on Iran could bring retaliation against American military bases in the region and sever lucrative trade through the Strait of Hormuz.

Analysts say that the UAE will have a difficult time reconciling Washington’s call for support with its economic ties to Iran. The Emirates’ “economic miracle” – double-digit growth and a flood of foreign investment – is often credited to its credo that politics and business do not mix.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the President of the UAE, did not make any public commitment after Mr Bush’s address.

With recent elections in the region empowering Islamists in Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, Mr Bush held out the autocratic Emirates as a shining example of how trade and economic development could also bring stability. The UAE was cited recently by the US State Department for human rights abuses and has yet to hold full elections. Foreigners account for the vast majority of residents, with the native population largely silent on democratic reform.

“Elections are important, but they are only a start,” Mr Bush said. “Free and just societies also create opportunities for their citizens. This opportunity begins with economic growth.”

The President’s visit was punctuated by several shows of Abu Dhabi’s enormous wealth. Upon arrival he was given a gold medallion necklace encrusted with hundreds of rubies, emeralds and diamonds, featuring the American flag in hand-painted enamel.

Earlier in the day the President shared a pancake breakfast with sailors from the US 5th Fleet, stationed in Bahrain, where Iran continued to dominate the agenda.

Today the President will spend the morning in Dubai before flying to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, where he is expected to press the US allies to use their clout to blunt the influence of Iran.

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