Iranian president expresses 'heartfelt amity' toward UAE
Despite past tensions, Iran and the UAE look to better ties to defuse friction in the Persian Gulf.
![Iran's newly elected President Ebrahim Raisi speaks during his swearing-in ceremony at the Iranian parliament.](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/2021-08/GettyImages-1234486017_0.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=e4Tqq4qa)
Iran’s newly inaugurated President Ebrahim Raisi said Friday that he wants to have close relations with the United Arab Emirates.
Raisi met with a UAE envoy in Tehran. During the meeting, he praised the Emirates as an “honest friend” of Iran, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. He also expressed support for the two countries working together. The statement from the president's website regarding the meeting did not name the Emirati envoy.