The Iranian and UAE border administrations signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance security cooperation on the border after a second meeting between the commander of the Iranian border guards Brigadier General Qassim Rezaei and Commander of the UAE Coast Guard Brigadier Ali Mohammad Musleh Al Ahbabi in Tehran.
"The signing of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the UAE is an important step to ensure the interests of the two countries and strengthen the security of the border between them," Ahbabi was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.
Brigadier Rezaee said regular meetings would be held between the two countries each year in Tehran and Abu Dhabi and once every six months in one of the border areas at the invitation of the parties.
He added that if an emergency border decision is made, coordination will be done through means of communication or direct meetings. He added that these meetings will contribute to enhancing cooperation on border security between the two countries and confronting those who target their security and facilitate cross-border movement and the movement of fishermen.
The UAE said on Wednesday that the meeting of its security official with his Iranian counterpart was limited to border affairs including fishermen and combating smuggling, after Tehran confirmed Tuesday talks with Abu Dhabi on Gulf security and border cooperation and facilitate the exchange of information.
"Iran is a pioneer in the fight against drug trafficking, and we, as the UAE Coast Guard, value the Islamic Republic's actions in this regard," Ahbabi said on Tuesday after meetings in Tehran that good relations between the two countries would ensure the security of Gulf waters and the Sea of Oman.
In an interview with the island, the Jordanian political science professor Hassan al-Barari said that the UAE is beginning to move towards rationality in dealing with the Iranian neighbor and that it wants to jump from the sunken Saudi ship after it is certain that the United States will not fight on behalf of any party in the region.
Al-Barari pointed out that the UAE is not only dependent on oil but also on its regional trade reputation, and it has begun to realize that the conflict with Iran will cost it a lot, and that Iran must be treated as an acceptable party in overseeing Gulf security.
"The return of coordination between the UAE and Iran is an indication of a shift in Abu Dhabi's policies towards the region," said Lebanese analyst Waseem Bazzi. "The UAE has begun to adopt this approach because it no longer bears the high cost of its involvement in the Yemeni conflict.