India Plays Peacemaker As Iran, UAE Hold Bilateral Talks On BRICS Sidelines

India has used its presidency of the BRICS grouping to push for dialogue and restraint as Iran and the United Arab Emirates held a high-level bilateral meeting in New Delhi against the backdrop of continued conflict in the Middle East. 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed on Saturday on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. The embassy said President Pezeshkian "held a meeting and talks" with the senior UAE official and published a photograph of the two men together.

The meeting was the highest-level contact between Iran and the UAE since the region was plunged into chaos following joint US-Israeli aggression against Iran and the subsequent retaliatory strikes by Tehran on US bases in Gulf States, including the UAE. Abu Dhabhi had not participated as a direct party in the talks held in Islamabad in April between Iranian officials and US and his allies of the region.

Iran and the UAE subsequently joined other BRICS members in backing a declaration that called for maximum restraint in the Middle East. New Delhi has maintained relations with both Tehran and Abu Dhabi, while simultaneously trying to preserve its relationship with Washington and its ties with Israel.

On Thursday, Iran's army said it had targeted US military infrastructure at Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait and Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE.

"This morning, the army hit the satellite communication systems, equipment depots and fighter aircraft hangars of the terrorist US army at the Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait with missiles and drones," Iran's army said in a statement.

It added that "the location of forces and radar systems of the child-killing US army at the Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE were also attacked by missiles and drones of the army".

The UAE itself has been placed in an increasingly difficult position by the conflict as it is a member of BRICS alongside Iran and Saudi Arabia, even though the three countries have taken different positions on the war launched by the US and Israel in February.