Former US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis spoke on Monday night at a previously unannounced speech before a Ramadan lecture series in honor of Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Axar.az reports citing Al-arabiya.

According to a report in the state-linked newspaper The National, Mattis stressed that “Iran’s behavior must change.”

However, he stressed that unilateral action is not the way forward with Iran and that the “military must work to buy time for diplomats to work their magic.”

Speaking about America in general, Mattis said: “America will frustrate you at times because of its form of government, but the UAE and America will always find their way back to common ground, on that I have no doubt.”