The United Arab Emirates is seeking to ease tensions with Iran while simultaneously strengthening its military and security cooperation with the United States and Israel, a delicate balancing act aimed at protecting its economy and security amid one of the most volatile periods in Gulf history.
According to the Financial Times, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has tasked three of his brothers with managing contacts with Tehran: Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed. Recent phone calls between Mansour and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and between Abdullah and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, are among the signs of the diplomatic push.
The UAE began pursuing the policy after a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States and stepped up those efforts following a memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington on June 12. Renewed tensions in recent weeks have put the strategy to the test. In the latest escalation, Iran launched missile and drone attacks against several Gulf states, including Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, while the UAE has sought to avoid a direct military confrontation with Tehran. That marks a notable shift from the earlier phase of the conflict, when the UAE was among the hardest-hit targets, with its Foreign Ministry reporting nearly 3,000 Iranian missile and drone strikes, most of them successfully intercepted.
The UAE has also taken steps affecting its large Iranian community. During the conflict it suspended the residency permits of about 20,000 Iranian residents who were outside the country. Two Iranians living in the UAE told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda that the permits of some relatives had been restored, although hundreds of others were still waiting. Tourist visas for Iranians are still not being issued, and no new residency applications are being processed, according to an Iranian community activist in the UAE.
Economic considerations, particularly in Dubai, which is home to hundreds of thousands of Iranians, drive the outreach. A Dubai official told the Financial Times that Iran’s large population and consumer market make the country important to Dubai as a trade and re-export hub, and that maintaining those ties was important to restoring normal relations. An Emirati businessman told the newspaper that doing without trade with Iran was possible but difficult, noting that some inexpensive goods, such as tomatoes, were hard to replace.
The conflict has also pushed up prices. An Iranian businessman running a shop in Dubai told Radio Farda that Iranian goods were still entering the UAE, but the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz had raised costs, with caviar coming through Oman and other goods reaching the UAE via the port of Fujairah, outside the strait, or by air as flights resume.
The Financial Times described the UAE’s approach as a bold gamble: cautiously reactivating diplomatic and economic channels with Tehran while simultaneously deepening its military relationship with Israel and the United States. For Abu Dhabi, the strategy reflects the challenge of balancing its dependence on Western security partnerships with the economic and strategic importance of maintaining workable relations with its powerful neighbor across the Gulf.
Sources: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Financial Times
Author: Middle East Desk
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