Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
Pezeshkian said the two sides agreed to “put the past behind us” and look towards the future, signalling a possible push for de-escalation.
The meeting came amid strained Iran-UAE ties following Iranian attacks and the UAE's suspension of trade and financial exchanges with Tehran.
BRICS Breaks Ice As Iran Agrees To ‘Put Past Behind’ With UAE
Iran and the UAE signalled a possible thaw at the BRICS Summit as President Masoud Pezeshkian and UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met and backed looking beyond recent tensions
Summary
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, in the highest-level engagement between Iran and the UAE since the start of the West Asia conflict. The meeting was followed by statements from both sides signalling a push towards de-escalation and regional stability.
Pezeshkian said the two sides had agreed to “put the past behind us” and look towards the future, while the UAE said they underscored efforts to ease tensions and strengthen regional stability.
What Happened Between Iran And The UAE At BRICS?
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with UAE Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit on September 12.
Pezeshkian and Nahyan also took part in group activities at the BRICS Summit in Delhi where they all planted a ‘friendship tree’.
Iranian Embassy in India quoted Hafez of Shiraz (c. 1315–1390), an Iranian poet, who wrote: “Plant the tree of friendship, that it may bear the fruit of your heart’s desire; Uproot the tree of enmity, for it brings countless sorrows.”
Pezeshkian said that Iran has no problem with the UAE, only US bases are the problem. “We had a good conversation with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and agreed to put the past behind us and look to the future,” he said.
Why Is The Iran-UAE Meeting Significant?
The relationship has been under severe strain because the UAE has come under Iranian attacks during the current conflict. UAE suspended trade, commercial exchange and financial transactions with Iran on August 19, after another round of Iranian missile attacks. The two countries also have a longstanding dispute over Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, three Gulf islands claimed by both sides.
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The meeting also came as India-hosted BRICS diplomacy helped bridge differences between Iran and the UAE sufficiently for the grouping to adopt the New Delhi Declaration.
The declaration called for “maximum restraint” in the West Asia war, but did not name specific strikes or countries, while also expressing strong criticism of Israel for its bombardment of Gaza and supporting South Africa's case against it.
Pezeshkian criticised the use of US military bases in the region for launching attacks on Tehran. He said Iran viewed the UAE and other countries in the region as “brothers”, pointing to their longstanding relations and trade ties with Tehran.
"We have no problems with the UAE. We have no problem with any of the regional countries. We have problem with the American bases located in these countries, and from which they are attacking our country," he told India Today.
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