Iran's Raisi officially invites UAE's MbZ to visit Tehran: semi-official agency

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi officially invited United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to visit Tehran in the near future, the semi-official Tasnim agency reported on Thursday.

In April, Iran appointed an ambassador to the UAE for the first time since 2016 amid a realignment of relations between Gulf states and Iran.

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— وكالة أنباء الإمارات (@wamnews) August 2, 2023

The invitation was sent during a meeting between UAE’s Minister of State, Khalifa Almarar and Iran’s ambassador to the UAE, Reza Amiri in Abu Dhabi, according to the official UAE news agency, WAM.

The UAE, which has business and trade ties with Iran stretching back more than a century, started re-engaging with Tehran in 2019 after attacks in Gulf waters and on Saudi energy sites.

However, Iran and the UAE have experienced rocky relations in recent years, particularly over Tehran's nuclear programme. Tensions were further fuelled by conflicts in the region, notably Yemen and Syria.

The UAE's Dubai emirate has long being one of Iran's main links to the outside world. Meanwhile, the Gulf country hosts a sizeable Iranian community.

(Reuters)