Muizzu backs Gulf states on Khamenei killing as Maldivians declare solidarity with Iran

At his first press conference in 304 days, Muizzu was pressed multiple times about the conspicuous absence of any statement of condemnation or formal condolence. He did not answer directly. Instead he repeatedly invoked solidarity with the Sunni-majority Gulf monarchies facing retaliatory strikes from Shia Iran. 

"We're working together with Arab Islamic countries in one spirit," he said. "We're a country that has been working in the manner the Arab Islamic states work, under a very friendly and fraternal relationship."  

Asked why the national flag has not been lowered to half-mast – as required under regulations that dictate protocols upon the death of a Muslim country's head of state – Muizzu said: "We will decide on that after consultations amongst ourselves."

When a journalist asked whether he had the guts to condemn the assassination in clear terms, Muizzu said yes but would not say the words. "The Arab Islamic countries are working as one bloc," he said.

Muizzu said he spoke to the UAE president on Sunday night to convey the Maldives' support. Phone calls were scheduled with the Saudi Crown Prince and Qatar's Emir as well as leaders of Bahrain and Oman, he added.

"I will give this same message, that the Maldivian people stand with the people of all those countries in this ongoing, very dangerous war," he said.

In testy exchanges with journalists about the refusal to condemn Khamenei's killing, Muizzu insisted that the government's stand was "very clear" in opposing attacks from all three countries: the US, Iran and Israel. 

"The Maldives denounces attacks from all sides and urges an immediate de-escalation of tensions," the foreign ministry said on Saturday, calling for "the restoration of peace and stability, and for all parties to act in full respect of international law and their obligations under the United Nations Charter." 

The president spoke in general terms about the war as a tragedy. America and Israel should not unilaterally attack countries in violation of international law, he said. Muizzu – whose administration banned Israeli passport holders from entering the Maldives – called the Jewish state a "terrorist country" that has been "destroying" Palestine.

Under former President Abdulla Yameen, the Maldives severed diplomatic ties with both Iran and Qatar in 2017 in line with the Saudi-led blockade. Ties were later restored.

Muizzu's refusal to single out the assassination for condemnation mirrored the response from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other Gulf states, which have issued carefully worded statements calling for de-escalation without specifically condemning the killing of Iran's supreme leader or expressing condolences to Tehran. 

The Maldives – a 100 percent Sunni Muslim country – has historically maintained close relations with the Gulf and received significant development financing over the years.

But public sentiment has diverged sharply. Maldivians on social media have widely expressed sympathy for Iran as a Muslim nation under attack and criticised Saudi Arabia and the UAE for their perceived silence, a reaction shaped by anger over the Gaza war and the broader perception of Gulf complicity with the US-Israeli military campaign in the region.

On Monday night, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom condemned Khamenei's assassination: "As a sincere Muslim, I condemn the atrocious killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei." No other former president has publicly commented.

Public reaction online was overwhelmingly critical of the government's stance. On a Qatar Tribune Facebook post about Muizzu's phone call with the Qatari Emir, the majority of the 140 comments were from Maldivians declaring that they "stand with Iran." 

Comments on local news sites and social media were also dominated by expressions of solidarity with Iran and anger at what many saw as the government siding with Gulf states they view as complicit in the US-Israeli military campaign. "Even if Muizzu sides with the Arabs, Maldivians stand with Iran," one commenter wrote on Mihaaru, in a post that drew the most engagement on the article. Others questioned the logic of aligning with countries that had allowed their territory to be used for the strikes on Iran, and asked how the Maldives could claim to stand with Palestine while following the lead of states that host US military bases. One commenter on Adhadhu noted that Muizzu's repeated references to consulting "amongst ourselves" in the Arab bloc made it sound as though the Maldives were an Arab country.

A smaller number defended the president's caution. The Maldives cannot afford the consequences of taking sides, supporters argued. Foreign policy should be guided by national interest rather than emotion, they said.

Muizzu's sparring with reporters came amid the war's economic fallout. The cancellation of flights from Middle Eastern airports since Saturday has cut off the primary gateway for the 30 to 35 percent of tourists who transit through Gulf hubs. Oil prices jumped above US$ 82 a barrel when markets opened on Monday. Analysts warn of US$ 90 or higher if the conflict drags on. European natural gas prices surged by as much as 45 percent after QatarEnergy halted production at its Ras Laffan plant – the world's largest LNG facility, accounting for about 20 percent of global supply – following an Iranian drone attack on the facility.

Muizzu said a nine-member ministerial committee formed on Saturday is coordinating the government's response across three fronts: tourism, fuel and food supplies. A fuel shipment left Oman on February 28 and work had begun on securing another, he said, adding that current stocks could last nearly a month and were at maximum storage capacity. He acknowledged that Oman, the country's primary fuel source, was itself under Iranian fire.

On tourism, he said the government was working to increase flights that do not transit through the Gulf, echoing the tourism ministry's push toward Asian markets and direct European and Russian routes. He said the government needed to build economic resilience and observed that the situation in the Middle East was "changing rapidly and more volatile."

He claimed that the Maldivian economy was "in a very healthy state" and that there was "no cause for concern yet." But he added: "Even so, we are preparing for the worst case scenario as well."

The press conference was the first of a series of weekly one-hour press briefings pledged during Muizzu's address at the opening of parliament last month. The president defended his administration's track record on several other fronts, from allegations of pre-election bribery to the diplomatic fallout with Mauritius over Chagos.

Here's what else came up. 

Mauritius suspended ties citing the Maldivian government’s “recent stand that it no longer recognises Mauritius’ sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, its territorial integrity, and its objection to the agreement between Mauritius and the United Kingdom.” 

The decision was made at a cabinet meeting on Friday, where concerns were noted over the delays in the United Kingdom’s legislative process regarding the Diego Garcia military base and the British Indian Ocean Territory, pending an agreement with the United States.

Muizzu criticised the decision as "ill-considered, naive and immature" and doubled down on his assertion of the Maldives' claim to Chagos. 

“That decision does not change the reality. Even if Mauritius severs political ties with the Maldives, a place that is not rightfully Mauritius' will not be their right,” he said. 

“If Chagos is to be handed over to any nation, it must be handed over to its rightful party: the Maldives. That fact will not change by any nation severing ties with this country. They made a decision on their own without any consultation. Very naive, very immature. The Maldives' stand will not change. The Maldives will move forward with the 'Maldives First' policy.”

If the archipelago were to remain under British control, that was "a separate issue," Muizzu said. However, if Britain was to hand over sovereignty, the Maldives was the only rightful owner, he argued. The government is considering legal action but remains in contact with the British government, he added.

Asked about social media posts about a US airforce plane photographed at VIA on Saturday, Muizzu said the aircraft had landed under a permit granted on January 17. It was a civilian flight from Seychelles that stopped for refuelling en route to Thailand, he said.  

“That is not something involved in the war in any way. It is a civil aircraft," he said.

Muizzu insisted that the number of political appointees has been disclosed, "and if there are any changes after that, we will also share those changes in the future." 

It came in response to an Adhadhu journalist who referred to the finance ministry's refusal to share information about the number of appointees and the wage bill. 

Muizzu denied that a pledge of MVR 100,000 (US$ 6,486) per household to residents of Sinamalé and Malé Hiya flats – announced less than seven weeks before local council elections at an event attended by the ruling party's Malé mayoral candidate – amounted to a bribe. The allowance would cost an estimated MVR 16.1 million across 161 apartments in the six buildings.

It was done to fulfil a campaign pledge that was also part of the presidential manifesto, he said. The flats built in the 1990s were at risk of collapse due to the city council's failure to carry out repair and maintenance work, he said. Aside from water leakages, the sheets have begun cracking and columns have inch-wide cracks.

The residents needed financial support until they could be relocated to a new building as pledged, he said, noting that some now own the property after completing payments. 

He denied that it was a financial inducement ahead of the April 4 local council elections. The matter had been decided by the cabinet on January 5, but it was delayed because of non-cooperation from the Malé City Council, he said. Waiving all fines incurred for late payment of rent for social housing units was a presidential pledge and the cabinet had issued the directive to councils in early 2024, he stressed.   

“That is a responsibility of a government. Keeping citizens impoverished is not something a government should do. That is not bribery under any circumstance,” he said.

Work was sped up after the issue was raised by residents at the Galolhu town hall meeting on December 16. At the mayoral campaign event, he was just “reporting” on what had already been done, he said. 

In March 2023, the Anti-Corruption Commission sought charges against former defence minister Moosa Ali Jaleel – the People's National Congress candidate for Malé mayor – to recover US$ 1 million from the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation. 

Muizzu said he asked the Attorney General to check with the Prosecutor General’s Office and found that there was no pending case against the retired major general. 

“The point is that anyone whose criminal record has not been cleared, or anyone proven to have a conviction, will not be eligible for candidacy in any way. That is not something specific to any one individual,“ he said. 

“This government is not one that will influence independent institutions,” he added. 

Any clauses in agreements made with India by the previous administration that endanger national security will be disclosed as pledged during the 2023 campaign, Muizzu said. While all such clauses have been removed, information was withheld following discussion at the national security council. 

“The pledge can still be fulfilled. I did not say it will not be disclosed, did I? It is being held for now. The timing will be important, right?” he said.

The government faces a US$ 500 million Islamic bond repayment on April 8, the largest single debt obligation in the country's history. Muizzu projected confidence, claiming the government had US$ 650 million set aside: US$ 320 million in the Sovereign Development Fund as of Sunday night and US$ 330 million in usable reserves. "To put it briefly, we have the money to pay the sukuk even if it's to be paid today," he said, adding that the gross reserve stood at a record US$ 1.27 billion.

He denied any plans to borrow from the Bank of Maldives. The government has received propositions for loans to refinance upcoming debt payments. However, interest rates will be reviewed, he said. 

“Those negotiations have been taking that direction for many days as well. We want to maintain these measures. We are working to ensure it does not go to double digits,” he said. 

Former president Dr Mohamed Waheed resigned as Muizzu's special envoy after documents published by the US Justice Department on January 30 included emails in which he pitched luxury resort investment deals to convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and sought the disgraced financier's help to fund his memoir and broker international contracts.

Muizzu said once he was made aware of the involvement with Epstein, he had asked Waheed to resign.

Conducting both polls on the same day would improve turnout, Muizzu argued, citing the lower turnout for parliamentary elections compared to the presidential election. In addition to significant savings, more citizens would have a say in choosing their member of parliament. 

“I want a participatory democracy where the election to choose the people's representatives is one where more people vote than in the parliamentary election. The presidential election is the one where the most people come out to vote so far,” he said.

He also defended the decision to hold a public referendum on the same day as the local council elections, which he said would be more cost-effective than scheduling a separate poll. The government is also reviewing other constitutional amendments including the introduction of ranked choice voting, he noted. 

Asked about the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party accusing his administration of acting dictatorially, Muizzu cited the use of government schools for the MDP primaries and the absence of political prisoners as evidence to the contrary. The government has also expanded protest zones in Malé from the carnival area to five designated spots, he said.