Iranian warships to dock in UAE for first time

Iran is set to send four naval vessels to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for an unprecedented visit, a senior commander has announced.

On February 3, Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy, confirmed that ships from both the IRGC and the Iranian Navy would travel to the UAE for a meeting with Emirati naval forces, Caliber.Az reports, citing Iranian media.

This marks the first time such a visit has taken place. Admiral Tangsiri reiterated Iran’s stance that regional countries are capable of ensuring security without external involvement.

He also revealed that Iran plans to hold a joint military exercise with Iraq, following previous drills with Oman.

Additionally, the commander announced that a new multipurpose warship equipped with drones would soon be added to the IRGC Navy’s fleet.

To recall, the United Arab Emirates and Iran restored diplomatic relations in 2022, nearly six years after Abu Dhabi severed ties in solidarity with Saudi Arabia following the 2016 ransacking of the Saudi embassy in Tehran. Riyadh followed suit a year later.

By Aghakazim Guliyev