- Iran, UAE leaders met, seeking improved relations.
- Pezeshkian affirmed no UAE issues, opposed US military presence.
- Talks follow tensions, precede Gulf states-Iran meeting.
- BRICS urged restraint, dialogue amid escalating Middle East tensions.
Iran and the United Arab Emirates are seeking to improve ties after relations deteriorated amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said following a meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in India.
“We had a constructive exchange with the crown prince of Abu Dhabi,” Pezeshkian said. He added that both sides had agreed to “turn the page, look to the future and build it together”.
Pezeshkian: Iran Has ‘No Problem’ With UAE
Pezeshkian said Iran had no issue with the UAE or other countries in the region, but objected to the presence of US military bases in Gulf states, which he accused of being used to attack Iran, AFP reported.
“We have no problems with the UAE. We have no problem with any of the regional countries. We have a problem with the American bases located in these countries and from which they are attacking our country,” he said.
Calling the UAE and other regional countries Iran’s “brothers”, Pezeshkian said the countries had longstanding ties and trade relations and had supported each other.
He also said friendly countries should not allow “enemies” to use their territory to launch attacks on neighbouring countries.
Gulf States, Iran To Meet In Oman
The comments came ahead of talks between Gulf states and Iran in Oman on Monday, aimed at strengthening security cooperation in the Middle East.
The meeting comes amid tensions between the US and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of global oil supplies previously flowed.
The UAE had announced last month that it was suspending trade and financial exchanges with Iran.
The meeting between Pezeshkian and Sheikh Khaled was the highest-level contact between Iran and the UAE since the conflict escalated following US-Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on US bases in Gulf countries, including the UAE.
BRICS Calls For Restraint, Dialogue
The 11-member BRICS grouping adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026, expressing serious concern over the escalation in the Middle East and calling for maximum restraint, dialogue and diplomacy.
The declaration also called for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and stressed the importance of maintaining global trade, supply chains and energy flows.
