‘Surprise and relief’: Scribes from UAE, Iran react to their leaders’ meeting - The Indian Express

**UAE‑Iran Leaders Meet on the Margins of the BRICS Summit, Sparking Surprise and Relief Among Regional Observers**

On the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held a bilateral meeting that was not on any official agenda. The encounter, described by journalists from both capitals as “surprising” and “relieving,” marked the first high‑level dialogue between the two neighbours in more than a decade, following years of diplomatic cold‑war triggered by the UAE’s 2019 decision to cut ties with Tehran over the Yemeni conflict. In a brief statement, the UAE’s state‑run *Khaleej Times* noted that both leaders expressed a “shared desire to stabilise the Gulf region and explore avenues for economic cooperation,” while Iran’s *Tehran Times* highlighted the discussion of “mutual respect for sovereignty and the potential for joint projects in energy and trade.”

India, which hosted the BRICS gathering, played an understated yet pivotal role in facilitating the talks. According to NDTV, Indian officials behind the scenes urged both parties to keep the dialogue constructive, positioning New Delhi as a neutral “peacemaker” willing to bridge gaps between Gulf states and Tehran. The meeting dovetailed with other diplomatic overtures at the summit: Uttar Pradesh’s senior Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad met Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Pezeshkian to press for deeper India‑Iran ties, and Indian President Droupadi Murmu held a separate conversation with Pezeshkian, emphasizing that “conflicts are best resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.” These parallel engagements underscore India’s broader strategy to leverage its non‑aligned stance and growing economic clout within BRICS to foster regional stability.

The bilateral talks also have implications for the ongoing sanctions regime imposed by the United States on Iran. In an interview with *Telegraph India*, Tehran’s economic envoy called for greater intra‑BRICS business and the use of the grouping’s own currencies to sidestep U.S. financial pressures. While no concrete agreements were announced, analysts say the very fact that the UAE and Iran could sit down together signals a thaw that may open doors to joint ventures in oil, gas, and infrastructure, potentially reshaping trade flows in the Gulf. Observers will now watch closely how the dialogue evolves and whether it translates into formal accords that could alter the strategic calculus of both regional powers and external actors.