In the coming days, the United Arab Emirates will return its ambassador to Tehran, after a prolonged disconnect – in effect since 2016. This move will be a significant milestone in the rapprochement between the countries, which also included a recent telephone conversation between their foreign ministers, as well as an official statement by the Emirati Foreign Ministry, which stated that the purpose of the move is "to contribute to the promotion of bilateral relations and to serve the common interests of the two countries and the entire region.”
Iran did not change its spots and did not suddenly become a peacemaker. What has changed is the American rush to the nuclear deal, which forces the countries of the region to rethink their relations with Iran.
The strengthening of Iran will also likely have a negative effect on the normalization process with Israel and will burden the efforts to expand the existing civil ties with the Gulf states. It cannot be ruled out that the refusal on the part of Oman to approve Israeli flights in its airspace also stems from this. It is possible these are the initial political prices of the nuclear talks with Iran, even before an agreement is signed.
In the coming days, the United Arab Emirates will return its ambassador to Tehran, after a prolonged disconnect – in effect since 2016. This move will be a significant milestone in the rapprochement between the countries, which also included a recent telephone conversation between their foreign ministers, as well as an official statement by the Emirati Foreign Ministry, which stated that the purpose of the move is "to contribute to the promotion of bilateral relations and to serve the common interests of the two countries and the entire region.”
Iran did not change its spots and did not suddenly become a peacemaker. What has changed is the American rush to the nuclear deal, which forces the countries of the region to rethink their relations with Iran.
The strengthening of Iran will also likely have a negative effect on the normalization process with Israel and will burden the efforts to expand the existing civil ties with the Gulf states. It cannot be ruled out that the refusal on the part of Oman to approve Israeli flights in its airspace also stems from this. It is possible these are the initial political prices of the nuclear talks with Iran, even before an agreement is signed.