UAE Foreign Minister Holds Calls with Saudi and Iraqi Counterparts on September 14 to Coordinate Efforts on Preventing Wider Regional Conflict

UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed efforts to prevent a wider regional conflict with his Saudi and Iraqi counterparts on Sunday September 14 amid rapidly evolving developments across the region. In a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the two sides reviewed regional developments and efforts to contain escalation, according to the Saudi Foreign Ministry. They stressed the importance of coordinating positions and strengthening Gulf cooperation to safeguard the security and interests of Gulf states. The calls came hours after the Oman-brokered Iran-GCC ministerial meeting scheduled for Monday September 14 in Salalah was postponed late Sunday evening. Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi said the postponement was necessary to ensure appropriate conditions for constructive dialogue. The talks had been intended as the first diplomatic breakthrough in the Hormuz crisis. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal landed in Delhi on Saturday night for the BRICS Summit, hours after Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan departed from the summit. At the BRICS summit, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled on the sidelines on September 12, marking the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the Iran war began in February. The final BRICS declaration included language calling for exercising maximum restraint and avoiding actions that could further aggravate the situation in the Middle East, representing a consensus reached between Iran and UAE despite ongoing tensions.