On August 19th, Aфра аль-Хамелли, a spokesperson for the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on social media platform X that as an important trading partner of Iran, the UAE will ‘suspend all trade and financial transactions with Iran until further notice’.
The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Tuesday evening, stating: "Given the escalating situation in the region, which poses a threat to regional and international peace and security, the UAE has suspended all trade, commercial interactions, and financial transactions with Iran until further notice."
Previously, the UAE stated that two ballistic missiles, targeting maritime targets, fell into the sea. Iran denied having launched any missiles.
The UAE is one of Iran's largest trading partners, second only to China. Even as the United States continues to tighten sanctions against the Iranian regime, trade between the two countries continues to grow.
Last week, a ship belonging to the UAE National Oil Company was attacked by Iran while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. According to the UAE National News Agency, the attacked ship was part of the country’s National Oil Company.
After the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February, Tehran responded by launching multiple rounds of missiles and drones at American allies in the region. Among American allies, including Israel, the UAE has been the most frequently attacked.
