Iranian president, Abu Dhabi crown prince meet on sidelines of Brics summit in India

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held their highest-level meeting since the Iran war began during the Brics summit in New Delhi on Saturday. This bilateral encounter came amidst the escalating fallout of the conflict, with Saudi Arabia shutting down a crucial East-West oil pipeline due to drone attacks.

The closure of this pipeline has raised global alarm over potential further disruptions to oil supply. The meeting, disclosed by the Iranian embassy in New Delhi, brought together the leaders of Iran and the UAE months after bilateral tensions surged sharply in late February following US-Israeli strikes. In retaliation, Iran launched widespread ballistic missile and drone attacks against the UAE, damaging key infrastructure such as energy facilities, ports, and commercial establishments in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The tension peaked last month when two Iranian ballistic missiles struck near the UAE coastline, triggering a full-scale embargo imposed by Abu Dhabi. The UAE ceased all trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran, severing vital channels for Tehran to circumvent international isolation. As Iran's second-largest trading partner after China, the UAE has been instrumental in facilitating Iran's economy, supplying around 30% of its imports and offering access to foreign currency, banking networks, and global shipping.