UAE returns ambassador to Iran as region prepares for potential nuclear deal
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates planned to reinstate its ambassador to Iran for the first time in six years, the Emirati Foreign Ministry announced Sunday, as the Gulf Arab federation accelerated efforts to improve ties with the nation it has long viewed as a regional threat.
The Emirates’ ambassador to Iran, Saif Mohammed Al Zaabi, will return to Tehran in the coming days to “continue pushing bilateral relations forward to achieve the common interests of the two neighbors and the region,” the UAE’s state-run WAM news agency reported.
The move comes as American and Iranian diplomats now seek to end 16 months of negotiations over the revival of Tehran’s landmark nuclear deal with world powers.
Top Israeli officials have warned their counterparts in the US and Europe against the deal and called for the negotiators to give up on the talks, with fears that an agreement would legitimize the Iranian pursuit of a nuclear weapon.
For its part, Iran has denied any nefarious intentions and claims its program is designed for peaceful purposes, though Iran has recently been enriching uranium to levels that international leaders say have no civil use.
Read More: Times of Israel
