Pezeshkian signals new chapter in ties with UAE

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has signalled a possible improvement in ties with the United Arab Emirates, saying the two countries want to put past differences behind them and open a “new chapter” in bilateral relations.

Relations between Tehran and Abu Dhabi have come under severe strain amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, with the UAE also deciding to halt all trade with Iran. However, signs of rapprochement emerged during the BRICS summit in India.

Pezeshkian made the remarks on Sunday (September 13), a day after meeting UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in India.

“We had constructive discussions with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. We agreed to forget the past, look towards the future and jointly build a better future,” Pezeshkian said.

The meeting came amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following a joint US-Israeli offensive against Iran and Tehran’s subsequent retaliatory strikes on US military bases in the Gulf region, including the UAE. Saturday’s meeting marked the highest-level contact between the leadership of Iran and the UAE since the crisis began.

During the meeting, Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran has no dispute with the UAE or any other Gulf country. However, Tehran strongly objects to the presence of US military bases in Gulf states, accusing Washington of using those facilities to launch attacks on Iran during the war.

“Iran has no problem with the United Arab Emirates. We have no dispute with any country in this region. Our only objection is to the US bases located in these countries, which are being used to attack our country,” he said.

The Iranian president also described the UAE and other countries in the region as “brothers”, saying the countries had lived alongside each other for a long time and maintained commercial ties.

“We have supported each other in the past,” he said, stressing that friendly countries should not allow their territory to be used by “hostile countries” to launch attacks against their neighbours.

Meanwhile, the BRICS bloc, comprising 11 countries, has adopted the “New Delhi Declaration”, expressing deep concern over the escalating tensions in the Middle East.