UAE, Iran to cooperate to fight dust storms
Dust storms in the region have been severe.
The United Arab Emirates and Iran are planning to work together to fight worsening dust storms in the region.
The environment ministries in both countries will sign a memorandum of understanding tomorrow to exchange expertise on combating dust and sand storms. The agreement follows a decree by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the need for diplomacy in the mitigation of the storms, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
Why it matters: Dust and sand storms have hit the Middle East hard this year. Iran’s neighbor Iraq has been especially affected, with thousands of people being hospitalized in relation to the storms. The storms are related to increasing desertification in the region, whereby waterways are drying up.
The memorandum between the UAE and Iran represents a further sign of improved ties between the two countries. The UAE’s national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed visited Tehran last December.
