DUBAI: UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed received a phone call from Lloyd Austin, US secretary of defense, state-run WAM news agency said Friday. They discussed “cooperation between the UAE and the US in defense matters as part of the strategic relations that bind the two countries. “They also addressed serious regional developments and escalation that threatens to exacerbate violence and instability, undermine security in the Middle East and jeopardize the likelihood of achieving peace,” the statement added. Sheikh Mohammed emphasized the priority of protecting civilian lives in accordance with international humanitarian law, and the need to secure urgent humanitarian corridors to deliver relief and medical aid to the Gaza Strip, given the deteriorating humanitarian conditions faced by civilians in Gaza. The UAE leader also stressed the need to intensify regional and international efforts to find a clear political horizon to achieve a fair and comprehensive peace for the benefit of all peoples of the region and in a way that preserves regional security and stability.