From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
UAE officials visit Iran for rare talks amid escalating Gulf tensions
Officials from the United Arab Emirates and Iran have met to discuss maritime security for the first time in six years amid a spike in tensions in the Persian Gulf.
An Emirati official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the talks, says the meetings focused on issues related to border security and navigation in shared waters, describing the talks as “nothing new” and unrelated to current tensions.
The state-run IRAN daily reports that a seven-member delegation from Abu Dhabi met with Iranian border and coastguard commanders in Tehran on Tuesday in the first such meeting since 2013.
The UAE is a close ally of Saudi Arabia. The two Arab Gulf countries view Iran as a regional menace and are at war with Iran-aligned rebels in Yemen.
The UAE has long lobbied for a more hawkish US policy toward Iran, but as tensions have risen in recent months, fears of a wider conflict have prompted the UAE to call for de-escalation.
— AP
