Iran appoints ambassador to the UAE after 8 years of vacancy
Iran has appointed an ambassador to the United Arab Emirates for the first time since 2016, Iranian media reported Tuesday, amidst a re-organization of relations between the Gulf states and the Islamic Republic and the decision by Abu Dhabi’s ally Riyadh to resume ties with Tehran and exchange ambassadors.
The move also comes after the UAE moved in August to upgrade relations with Iran, saying it would return its ambassador to Tehran as part of a UAE policy to escalate problems in the Gulf and the Middle East.
The UAE downgraded relations with Iran after Saudi Arabia severed ties with Tehran in January 2016 following Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in the Islamic Republic in retaliation for the execution of a prominent Shia cleric in the kingdom, Nimr al-Nimr.
Last month, Riyadh said it would resume ties with Iran under a deal brokered by China. The move represents a major shift after years of hostility between Iran and Saudi Arabia, threatens stability and security in the Gulf, and has contributed to fueling regional conflicts from Yemen to Syria.
“The UAE, which has had trade and business ties with Iran for more than a hundred years, began reconnecting with Tehran in 2019 after attacks in Gulf waters and Saudi energy sites.”
Officials from both countries have made frequent visits in recent years. UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoun ben Zayed Al Nahyane arrived in Tehran in 2021 and met with Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian visited Abu Dhabi in May to mourn the death of the late UAE president, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, saying his visit marked a “new chapter” in relations between the two countries.
The emirate of Dubai is one of Iran’s main lines of communication to the outside world.
At the height of the crisis between the Gulf states and Iran, Houthis loyal to the Islamic Republic launched attacks against sites in the UAE with unguided ballistic missiles, most recently in January 2022.
Reza Ameri, the newly appointed ambassador to the UAE, previously served as director general of the Iranian Expatriates Bureau at the Foreign Ministry, Iranian state media said.
Ameri previously served as Iran’s ambassador to Algeria, Sudan and Eritrea and was responsible for Middle East and Persian Gulf affairs at the State Department.
Iran’s last ambassador to the UAE was Mohammad Reza Fayyad, who returned to Iran about 8 years ago, after which the Iranian embassy in Abu Dhabi continued to function at the charge d’affaires level.
Hossein Haidari is currently the chargé d’affaires and supervisor of the Iranian embassy in Abu Dhabi.
