The meeting was chaired by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi and UAE Assistant Minister for Political Affairs Lana Nusseibeh, alongside senior officials from both countries [WAM]
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran held the first round of the Joint Committee for Political Consultations in Abu Dhabi on Friday, during which both sides discussed bilateral cooperation, regional developments, and the escalating situation in Palestinian territories.
The meeting was chaired by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi and UAE Assistant Minister for Political Affairs Lana Nusseibeh, alongside senior officials from both countries. It follows recent steps to improve UAE-Iran ties.
During the talks, Takht-Ravanchi reiterated Iran’s call for Islamic unity in confronting “the crimes of the Zionist regime in Palestine and its destabilising actions” in the region.
He described the upcoming Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting as an opportunity for Muslim nations to adopt a united stance against what he called the “dangerous American-Zionist plot” to commit genocide and forcibly displace the people of Gaza.
His remarks came amid heightened diplomatic efforts by Tehran to rally opposition to Donald Trump’s recent proposal for the US to “take over” Gaza after the war. Iran has pushed for an emergency OIC foreign ministers’ meeting in response to the plan.
Nusseibeh reaffirmed the UAE’s rejection of any proposal to expel Palestinians from Gaza and underscored Abu Dhabi’s commitment to expanding bilateral relations with Iran.
Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation based on mutual interests. Takht-Ravanchi emphasised the importance of the Joint Committee, highlighting its role in advancing agreements and economic collaboration between the two nations.
In May 2024, the two countries held the first session of the UAE-Iran Joint Economic Committee in Abu Dhabi, chaired by UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri and his Iranian counterpart Mehrdad Bazrpash, to boost economic partnerships.
Similarly in May 2023, Tehran hosted the first UAE-Iran Business Council during Expo Iran to strengthen trade and investment relations.
Ties between the UAE and Iran were strained for decades, largely due to territorial disputes over the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa islands, which the Abu Dhabi claims but Tehran controls.
Relations worsened further in 2016 when the UAE downgraded diplomatic ties with Iran, after Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran in response to the storming of its embassy in Tehran after the execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
