Iran appoints ambassador to UAE in sign of thawing relations between Gulf states and Iran

 

Iran has appointed an ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the first time since 2016, in a move that signals a realignment of relations between Gulf states and Iran. The appointment of Reza Ameri comes after the UAE announced the return of its envoy to Tehran in August, as part of an effort to improve relations. The UAE had downgraded relations with Iran following Saudi Arabia’s severing of ties in January 2016, after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran following the execution of a famous Shiite cleric by Riyadh.

This realignment of relations in the Gulf has been prompted in part by a broader geopolitical shift, with Riyadh announcing last month that it would reestablish relations with Tehran in an agreement brokered by China. This marks a significant shift from years of hostility between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which had threatened stability and security in the Gulf and fueled conflicts in the Middle East from Yemen to Syria.

The UAE’s re-engagement with Tehran also comes after a series of attacks on Gulf waters and Saudi energy sites. Despite these tensions, the UAE has had business and trade relations with Iran for more than a century, and Dubai in the UAE has long been Iran’s primary gateway to the outside world.

Reza Ameri, who has been appointed as Iran’s new ambassador to the UAE, previously served as the director general of the Iranian expatriate’s office in the foreign ministry, according to Iranian state media. His appointment signals a potential thawing of relations between Iran and the UAE, and may pave the way for further diplomatic engagement in the region.