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UAE, Iran foreign ministers discuss COVID challenge

August 2, 2020 at 3:26 pm

Iranians seen wearing masks at a subway during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic precautions in Tehran, Iran June 15, 2020 [Fatemeh Bahrami / Anadolu Agency]

The foreign minister of United Arab Emirates told his Iranian counterpart that strengthening bilateral cooperation was an important element in tackling the coronavirus, UAE state news agency WAM said on Sunday, quoted by Reuters.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan made the comment to Mohammad Javad Zarif in a video call during which they also exchanged greetings for the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday, it said.

Shia Muslim Iran has long been at odds with US Gulf Sunni Arab allies the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Tensions have spiked between Iran and the United States since 2018, when US President Donald Trump withdrew from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with six powers and reimposed sanctions.

Washington blamed a series of attacks against oil interests in the Gulf last year on Iran, while the UAE did not publicly hold a particular country responsible.

The two ministers had also discussed the coronavirus epidemic in March.

Read: Coronavirus claims more lives across the Middle East