বাংলাIran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have held their first high-level meeting since the start of the ongoing Middle East conflict. The meeting took place in New Delhi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, where Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met UAE Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Saturday (September 12).
Iran’s embassy said the two leaders held talks and discussions. A photograph of the two leaders together was also released after the meeting. The contact has been described as the highest-level communication between Iran and the UAE since the escalation of the regional conflict.
The Iran-UAE meeting has gained significance following joint US-Israeli attacks in the Middle East and Iran’s retaliatory strikes. Iranian attacks have also targeted US military facilities in Gulf countries, including military infrastructure in the UAE.
Earlier in April, the UAE did not directly participate in talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad, Pakistan. At that time, Iranian officials held discussions with the United States and its regional allies.
Later, Iran and the UAE joined other BRICS members in supporting a statement calling for maximum restraint in the Middle East. India is also seeking to maintain relations with both Iran and Abu Dhabi while preserving its ties with the United States and close relations with Israel.
Amid the ongoing conflict, Iran’s military said on Thursday that it had targeted US military infrastructure at Kuwait’s Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base and the UAE’s Al Minhad Air Base.
In a statement, the Iranian military claimed that missiles and drones had targeted US military facilities at the Kuwaiti air base. It also claimed that US personnel and radar systems at Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE were targeted.
The conflict has placed the UAE in a difficult diplomatic position. As a BRICS member, the UAE is part of the same grouping as Iran and Saudi Arabia. However, the three countries have taken different positions over the war launched by the United States and Israel in February.
Against this backdrop, the Iran-UAE meeting is significant for maintaining diplomatic communication and potentially reducing regional tensions. The meeting also came as India, host of this year’s BRICS summit, emphasized dialogue and restraint as possible approaches to the Middle East crisis.
Read more: International News
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