The United Arab Emirates said on August 21 that its ambassador to Iran, Saif Mohammed Al Zaabi, would return to Tehran in the coming days, more than six years after the Persian Gulf Arab state downgraded ties with the Islamic Republic.
The move is in line with UAE efforts to strengthen relations with Iran "to achieve the common interests of the two countries and the wider region," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The UAE downgraded its ties with Iran after Saudi Arabia severed its own relations with Tehran in January 2016. The move followed the storming of the Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran following Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric.
Shi’a-majority Iran and Sunni-led Saudi Arabia have held several rounds of talks since April last year in a bid to mend ties.
Last week, Kuwait appointed a new ambassador to Tehran for the first time since 2016. Kuwait had recalled its ambassador from Tehran after Saudi Arabia cut ties with its regional rival.
