UAE and Iran discuss easing tensions at BRICS summit - Euronews

**UAE and Iran Discuss Easing Tensions at BRICS Summit**

*Johannesburg, South Africa –* At the opening session of the 2024 BRICS summit, senior officials from the United Arab Emirates and the Islamic Republic of Iran held a closed‑door meeting that signaled a tentative thaw in relations that have been strained for nearly a decade. The UAE’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan sat down with Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign affairs team to explore “practical steps” for restoring diplomatic channels, enhancing maritime security in the Gulf and reviving limited trade ties that were largely suspended after the 2016 execution of an Emirati citizen in Tehran. Both sides framed the dialogue as a “turn‑the‑page” moment, echoing language used earlier this year in Delhi where Iranian officials met with Kashmiri leader Mirwaiz Kashmir Mohammed Yousuf Safi and other Indian politicians.

The discussions were set against a broader diplomatic backdrop that includes Iran’s vocal criticism of Western sanctions at the summit. In a separate plenary, President Raisi lambasted the sanctions regime for threatening global food security and “undermining the welfare of millions,” a point echoed by Iranian officials in the UAE talks. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump, who was not a participant in the summit, dismissed the Gulf‑Iran rapprochement as “nothing to worry about,” a comment reported by the *Times of India* that underscored the divergent views among major powers on the issue. The meeting also dovetailed with recent back‑channel contacts in New Delhi, where the Hurriyat chief Mirwaiz Kashmir met Iranian envoys, a development highlighted by the *Telegraph India* as a “government thaw signal.”

Analysts say the BRICS setting provided a neutral platform for the two countries to gauge each other’s willingness to move beyond past grievances without the immediate pressure of a bilateral summit. If the dialogue yields concrete confidence‑building measures—such as the reopening of consular services, joint anti‑piracy patrols in the Strait of Hormuz and limited trade in non‑oil sectors—it could reshape the Gulf’s security architecture and reduce the space for external powers to exploit regional rifts. However, observers caution that any lasting rapprochement will depend on Tehran’s ability to address Emirati concerns over security incidents and the broader geopolitical climate, especially the ongoing sanctions debate that continues to dominate Iran’s foreign policy agenda.

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