Rivals Iran and UAE to hold maritime security talks

DUBAI, July 30 (Reuters) - Iran was to revive maritime
security talks on Tuesday with officials from traditional foe
the United Arab Emirates (UAE) amid worsening frictions between
the Islamic Republic and the West in the Gulf region, Iranian
media reported.
The talks had been off since 2013, but the UAE wants to help
calm the crisis and guard its reputation as a safe business hub.
"The 6th joint meeting will be held on Tuesday between a
visiting seven-member delegation from the United Arab Emirates'
coast guard and Iranian officials in Tehran," Iran's
semi-official Students News Agency (ISNA) reported.
Without giving a source, ISNA said issues from shared
borders, visits by citizens of each nation, illegal entries, and
maritime connections would be discussed.
Officials in the UAE did not immediately respond to emailed
requests by Reuters for comment.
Attacks on Saudi tankers and other vessels off the UAE coast
in May increased tensions between the United States, Iran and
Gulf Arab states. Washington and its Sunni Arab allies blamed
Iran for the attacks, but Tehran denied that.
The UAE tempered its reaction to the attacks, and has also
scaled back its military presence in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia
is involved in a proxy war with Shi'ite Iran.
Iran has said it wants to improve relations with its
regional Sunni rivals Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
"Iran has always given extreme importance to the security of
the Persian Gulf and it needs cooperation among all Persian Gulf
states," said an Iranian official who asked not to be named.
Washington and Tehran are in a protracted standoff over
Iran's nuclear and missile programs, and its regional influence.
Washington has imposed and tightened sanctions on Iran's oil
exports after President Donald Trump pulled out of Iran's 2015
deal with major powers, under which Tehran got access to world
trade in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.
Tehran has repeatedly warned it would block exports through
the waterway if the United States tried to strangle its economy.