(Adnkronos) – The United Arab Emirates have announced the suspension of all commercial and financial exchanges with Iran, following recent missile attacks carried out by Tehran against their vessels. The announcement comes after a period of relative calm in the United Arab Emirates, where no Iranian missile attacks have been recorded since May, whereas the confederation had borne the brunt of the attacks in the first weeks of the Middle East war. Abu Dhabi has nevertheless accused Tehran of repeatedly targeting its tankers at sea in recent weeks. “In light of the regional escalation… all commercial, financial exchanges and transactions with Iran have been suspended until further notice,” said Afra Al Hameli, Director of Communications at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The United Arab Emirates host a significant Iranian community and were – before the conflict – an important commercial partner for Iran, a country sanctioned by the United States. The two countries share deep cultural and historical ties, being neighbors across the Gulf, with centuries-old links between coastal communities, trade routes, and family networks.
Before this latest measure, the Emirates had announced the recall of their ambassador at the start of the conflict and the closure of schools and a hospital linked to Iran.
Yesterday, Abu Dhabi had accused Iran of launching two ballistic missiles against the country, the first such attack since May. Subsequently, Abu Dhabi stated that the salvo was directed against merchant ships, but Tehran denied launching missiles against the United Arab Emirates.
