Iran’s National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamjani will pay an official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday to address issues related to their bilateral relations, days after Tehran and Riyadh agreed to normalize ties after seven years of tensions.
According to information gathered by Nur News, a media outlet close to Iran’s National Security Council, Shamjani’s visit will take place at the invitation of his Emirati counterpart, Tahnun bin Zayed al Nahyan, although the UAE has not yet made any statement.
He also stressed that Shamjani will meet with senior Emirati officials during his visit to discuss »bilateral, regional and international issues». The secretary of the Iranian agency will be accompanied by a delegation comprising representatives of Iran’s economic, banking and security sectors.
The UAE sent back its ambassador to Iran in September 2022, more than six years after downgrading its ties with Tehran after Saudi Arabia cut ties with the Iranian government in January 2016 following an assault on its embassy in Tehran during a protest over the execution of a prominent Saudi Shiite cleric.
The agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to resume diplomatic relations has been applauded by countries in the region and has opened the possibility of a reduction of disputes between the two countries in the Middle East, including the conflict in Yemen.
On the other hand, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Naser Kanani indicated on Tuesday that it also opened the door to improved relations with Gulf countries, including Bahrain, with which Tehran has a tense relationship.
»Given these promising expectations, we can witness the materialization of new conditions in relations with the countries of the region, including Bahrain,» he said during an interview with Iran’s Al Alam television network. »Fortunately, we are seeing good diplomatic moves in this regard,» he concluded.
Bahraini authorities have on numerous occasions accused Iran of backing the protests that erupted in 2011 in the wake of the ‘Arab Spring’, while Tehran denies this and calls on Manama to respect the rights of its largely Shiite population.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
