UAE and Iran leaders hold first meeting since war began, on sidelines of BRICS summit

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan sat down together on September 12 at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. It was the first time leaders from the two countries had met face-to-face since the West Asia conflict erupted on February 28.

The fact that the meeting happened at all is the story. Just three weeks earlier, on August 19, the UAE suspended all trade and financial transactions with Iran after Iranian missiles were launched toward Emirati territory. Diplomatic relations between the two Gulf neighbors have been described in terms usually reserved for mountaineering expeditions: trust, Emirati officials have said, “is a mountain to climb.”

What happened in New Delhi

The bilateral sit-down took place on the margins of the 18th BRICS Summit, which brought together leaders from across the expanded bloc in India’s capital. The two leaders discussed regional de-escalation, stability, and ongoing peace initiatives, according to reporting from the summit.

Both nations ultimately endorsed the BRICS New Delhi Declaration, a joint statement that addressed rising tensions across the Middle East. The declaration called for maximum restraint in protecting civilians, sovereignty, trade, supply chains, and energy flows.

That consensus did not come easily. At the May 2026 BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting, UAE and Iranian delegations clashed openly. The path from public confrontation to a handshake photo in New Delhi took roughly four months and significant behind-the-scenes diplomatic maneuvering.

The backdrop: missiles, sanctions, and broken trust

The West Asia conflict that began on February 28 redrew the region’s security map almost overnight. When Iranian missiles were directed at UAE territory, Abu Dhabi responded with one of the sharpest economic tools in its arsenal. The August 19 suspension of all trade and financial dealings with Tehran covered commercial transactions, banking relationships, and financial flows between the two economies.

For Iran, already under layers of international sanctions, losing access to UAE-based trade channels represented a meaningful blow. The UAE has historically served as a conduit for Iranian commerce, with Dubai in particular functioning as a trading hub that connected Iranian businesses to global markets.

BRICS as a diplomatic stage

India, as summit host, had a strategic interest in facilitating dialogue between member and partner states, and the New Delhi setting provided multilateral cover for both sides to engage. The New Delhi Declaration’s language on the Middle East called for restraint and emphasized the protection of trade and energy flows.

The UAE’s trade suspension remains in effect, and Emirati officials have given no public indication that it will be lifted soon. The “mountain to climb” framing suggests Abu Dhabi views normalization as a long process that requires Iranian actions, not just words.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.