UAE Will Send Ambassador Back to Iran After 6 Years

The United Arab Emirates will return an ambassador to Iran, more than six years after it recalled its envoy from Tehran and severed ties with the Islamic Republic. Saif Mohammed Al Zaabi will return to Tehran in “in the coming days to contribute to further advancing bilateral relations in cooperation with officials in the Islamic Republic of Iran to achieve the common interests of the two countries and the wider region,” the UAE Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday.

The UAE, which has been trying to strengthen relations with Iran since 2019, severed ties in 2016 after Saudi Arabia broke off relations with Iran following attacks by Iranian protesters on the Saudi embassy in Tehran. Saudi Arabia also is working to restore ties with Iran.

Kuwait appointed its first ambassador to Iran since 2016 earlier in August.