Iran’s Deputy FM Visits UAE in Relationship Reset

Iran’s deputy foreign minister visited the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, tweeting that the two countries agreed to “open a new chapter in bilateral relations.” Ali Bagheri Kani, who also is Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, met in Dubai with the diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, Anwar Gargash, and Emirati minister of state for foreign affairs Khalifa Shaheen Almarar.

The visit comes amid regional tension between Iran and the rest of the Gulf states. It also took place days before the scheduled restart of negotiations between Iran and the world powers in Vienna to reup the nuclear agreement that under which Iran would slow its nuclear advancement in exchange for sanctions relief. Gargash earlier this month said that the UAE was taking steps to de-escalate tensions with Iran, Reuters reported.

Reuters also reported that a high-level delegation from the UAE would visit Tehran “soon,” citing unnamed senior Iranian and Gulf officials.

Senior Iranian and Gulf officials told Reuters last week that a top UAE delegation would visit Tehran soon.