Emirati tycoon's criticism of Trump mysteriously disappears and replaced by praise for UAE
The comments were later substituted for tweets stating clouds were "filling the sky and the rains of goodness pouring down"
A billionaire tycoon's criticism of Donald Trump for sparking a war in the Middle East later disappeared and was replaced with praise for the UAE.
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Khalaf Al Habtoor, a prominent Emirati figure, hit out at the President on social media after the US launched strikes on Iran at the end of last month.
Mr Habtoor accused Mr Trump of placing the Gulf states "at the heart of a danger they did not choose" and questioned whether the President was acting under Israel's orders.
However, both posts were removed without explanation shortly afterwards, with at least one article in the local media reporting his remarks also no longer available.
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In one of the posts addressing the US, the tycoon wrote: "Who gave you the authority to drag our region into a war with Iran? And on what basis did you make this dangerous decision?
"Did you calculate the collateral damage before pulling the trigger? And did you consider that the first to suffer from this escalation will be the countries of the region itself!"
He added: "The peoples [SIC] of this region have the right to ask as well: Was this your decision alone? Or did it come as a result of pressures from Netanyahu and his government?"
He uploaded a later post reacting to comments made by US Senator Lindsey Graham, who called on Gulf countries to join the conflict.
Mr Habtoor, who played a key part in developing some of Dubai's skyscrapers, said: "We will not enter this war to serve the interests of others, nor will we sacrifice our sons in a conflict that could have been avoided through diplomacy and political solutions."
The tweets were later replaced with positive words about the UAE.
Mr Habtoor wrote: "How beautiful our country is this morning, with clouds filling the sky and the rains of goodness pouring down upon the land of the Emirates."
The post added: "We ask God to perpetuate security and safety upon our country, to preserve our wise leadership, and to keep the Emirates forever a land of goodness and a source of pride for us all."
Gulf states including Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait are all reported to have been pushing for diplomacy to end the conflict since the war broke out.
The UAE has since issued strict guidance against its tourists and residents from posting anything online that it feels may cause panic or inflame the situation.
It comes as a 60-year-old British tourist was arrested in Dubai for allegedly filming missiles.
State officials have warned tourists and residents that they could face prison for posting material about the Middle East conflict.
The man is being supported by campaign group Detained in Dubai.
On Wednesday morning, three cargo ships were struck in the Strait of Hormuz. While not immediately clear who launched the projectiles, Iran previously claimed control of the shipping lane which is a crucial route for global oil shipments.