Delegation of Iranian military ships and officers visit UAE for the first time

A delegation of Iranian military ships and officers was welcomed by their Emirati counterparts on Monday evening, marking Iran navy's first-ever visit to the Gulf state, according to Al Monitor.

The United Arab Emirates’ Defense Ministry said that four Iranian naval vessels docked at the Port of Khalid in Sharjah for a three-day visit. According to the ministry, ships from the UAE navy and national guard escorted the Iranian delegation to shore.

Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported on Tuesday that a welcome ceremony was held for the Iranian personnel the previous night. Iran’s ambassador to the UAE, Reza Ameri, and an unnamed Emirati Defense Ministry official were among those in attendance, according to the agency.

Rear Adm. Alireza Tangsiri of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy stated on Monday that ships from both the IRGC and the Iranian navy would be dispatched to the UAE for this unprecedented visit. Both the IRGC and the Iranian army have naval forces.

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Iran and the UAE have seen increased diplomatic engagement over the past year. In December, Iranian Vice President Shina Ansari visited the UAE for bilateral talks, while in July, Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed attended the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The UAE did not sever ties with Iran following the 2016 attack on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, unlike Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The incident was triggered by the execution of Saudi Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Saudi Arabia and Iran resumed ties in 2023 in a deal brokered by China.

The UAE and other Gulf states have security concerns regarding Iran, particularly due to Tehran's support for the Houthis in neighboring Yemen and Tehran's strikes on Israel last year. Gulf Cooperation Council countries were especially worried by Iran's use of Jordan’s airspace during its April strikes against Israel, according to an August report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

In a December statement, the GCC’s Supreme Council voiced concerns over Iran’s nuclear program and weapons development, calling for negotiations on the matter.

“These negotiations should include, in addition to the Iranian nuclear program, all the security concerns of the GCC countries, including ballistic and cruise missiles, drones, international navigation safety and oil facilities,” the Supreme Council said.

One matter of dispute between Iran and the UAE is the competing territorial claims over the Greater and Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa islands. The Gulf islands are administered by Iran but claimed by the UAE.