High-level UAE delegation to visit Iran soon -officials

DUBAI (Reuters) – A top delegation from the United Arab Emirates will visit Tehran soon as the Gulf state works to de-escalate tensions with Iran, senior Iranian and Gulf officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

A Gulf official said a high-level delegation is expected to visit Teheran soon but they declined to confirm whether UAE’s top national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan would lead the visit. Sheikh Tahnoon is a brother of the country’s de facto ruler Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and chairman of state investor ADQ.

A senior Iranian official said an Emirati official would visit soon but declined to give more details. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the UAE president, said on Monday that his country was “taking steps to de-escalate tensions with Iran as part of a policy choice towards diplomacy and away from confrontation.”

Gargash said the UAE remained deeply concerned about Iran’s behaviour in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon. Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, are closely watching talks between global powers and Iran to revive a 2015 nuclear pact. They believe the deal was flawed for not addressing Iran’s missile programme and network of regional proxies.