Reuters - The United Arab Emirates� agreement to normalise ties with Israel was a �sovereign decision� that was not directed at Iran, UAE minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash said on Monday.

The UAE on Sunday said it had summoned Iran�s charge d�affaires in Abu Dhabi and given him a �strongly worded memo� in response to a speech by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that the foreign ministry described as �unacceptable�.

Speaking on Saturday, Rouhani said the UAE had made a �huge mistake� in reaching a agreement to normalise ties with Israel and called it a betrayal by the Gulf state.

The U.S.-sponsored deal has been seen as firming up opposition to regional power Iran, which Gulf states, Israel and the United States view as the main threat in the conflict-riven Middle East.

�The UAE-Israeli peace treaty is a sovereign decision not directed at Iran. We say this and repeat it. We do not accept interference in our decisions,� Gargash said on Twitter.

The secretary general of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council on Sunday condemned �threats� by Rouhani and other Iranian officials towards the UAE over the accord.

Writing by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Toby Chopra