Iran’s President Dr Massoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that his country wants to “turn the page” with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). His remarks are significant as the relationship between Tehran and Abu Dhabi had deteriorated following the beginning of the conflict in Middle East earlier this year.
“For the first time since the war and the incidents that occurred in the Persian Gulf, we had a constructive exchange with the crown prince of Abu Dhabi,” Pezeshkian said, a day after his meeting with UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
“It was agreed that we would turn the page, look to the future and build it together.”
Following the beginning of its conflict with the United States (US) in February this year, Iran struck its neighbouring countries, including the UAE, where American bases and assets were present. The UAE, which faced the much of brunt, suspended its trade and financial exchanges with Iran in retaliation.
This move left Iran in a critical situation, as Dubai – which is the largest city is the UAE – is home to a large Iranian community, who often send economic assistance to Tehran.
But Pezeshkian’s meeting with Al Nahyan has provided the two countries a chance to reset their ties. During their talks on Saturday, they focussed on de-escalating the situation in the region and ensure that everything remains stable.
“Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, met Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi and discussed regional and international issues, de-escalation, stability, and efforts to advance regional peace and development,” Abu Dhabi Media Office said on X (previously Twitter).
Meanwhile, Pezeshkian has hit out at the West over sanctions and said people of Iran were forced to pay a heavy price because of the conflict. In his address on BRICS sidelines, he also called on the international community to protect civilians and prevent the “normalisation of attacks on civilian targets”.
He also underlined the importance of Iran’s geographical location and said the Islamic Republic is ready to cooperate for development of trade and energy corridors for BRICS members. “Let us turn BRICS into a platform for translating these principles into practical action,” he said on Sunday.
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