INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The United Arab Emirates said on Sunday that its ambassador to Iran, Saif Mohammed Al Zaabi, would return to Tehran &in coming days&, more
than six years after the Gulf Arab state downgraded ties with the Islamic Republic, Reuters reported.The move is in line with UAE efforts to
strengthen relations with Iran ''to achieve the common interests of the two countries and the wider region&, the foreign ministry said in a
statement.According to the report the UAE downgraded its ties with Iran after Saudi Arabia severed its own relations with Tehran in January
The move followed the storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran by Iranian protesters after Riyadh executed a prominent Shi&ite cleric.After
years of animosity on different sides of geo-political rivalries, the UAE started re-engaging with Tehran in 2019 following attacks in Gulf
waters and on Saudi energy sites amid heightened tensions after Washington quit global powers& nuclear pact with Iran.Last year Sunni Muslim
powerhouse Saudi Arabia moved to improve ties with foe Shi&ite Muslim Iran with five rounds of direct talks so far
This has come at a time when Gulf Arab states are closely eyeing efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear pact, which they deem flawed for not
addressing Iran&s missiles programme and behavior, Reuters reported.Though Riyadh and Abu Dhabi want an end to Tehran&s push for dominance
in the region, they also want to contain the tensions as they focus on economic priorities.According to Reuters the UAE has business and
trade ties with Iran stretching back more than a century, with Dubai emirate long being one of Iran&s main links to the outside world.Fellow
Gulf state Kuwait earlier this month appointed its first ambassador to Iran since 2016
Then, in solidarity with Riyadh, it had recalled its envoy to Tehran while maintaining relations as part of a balanced foreign policy.The
post UAE, upgrading ties with Iran, says envoy to return to Tehran first appeared on Ariana News.
