UAE paid Iran billions of dollars to halt strikes: Report

IRGC officials stayed at the UAE national security advisor’s guest house last week to cut a de-escalation deal.

The UAE paid Iran billions of dollars in return for a halt to attacks on the country in an about-face for the Gulf state that staked out the most hawkish position on Iran, lobbying the US to continue waging war on the Islamic Republic, Reuters reported on Friday.

The UAE has already delivered $3bn to Iran as part of the agreement, which two regional sources said reached as high as $10bn. Two other sources told Reuters that the UAE would eventually pay Iran $20bn.

The report reflects a stunning turn of events for Abu Dhabi and an indicator that Iran has emerged stronger from the war.

The UAE joined the US and Israel in conducting dozens of strikes on Iran during the war. It also tried to prevent Pakistan from mediating an end to the conflict.

Saudi Arabia had to supply a fresh loan to Islamabad after the UAE called in its debt obligations as punishment for hosting talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a wartime visit to the UAE, according to Israeli authorities. Israel and the UAE then sealed a deal to develop a joint defence acquisition fund, Middle East Eye revealed.

Last week, the UAE hosted members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for a meeting with Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser and deputy ruler of Abu Dhabi.

The IRGC officials, who are sanctioned by the US, stayed at Tahnoun’s guest house.

The UAE also dispatched diplomats to engage in face-to-face talks with senior Iranian officials this week to de-escalate tensions, Bloomberg reported.

A Gulf diplomat told MEE their government believed the meeting was held in Tehran as part of an effort to ensure the UAE wasn’t attacked.

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