The United Arab Emirates has decided to downgrade the level of its diplomatic representation in Iran to that of a charge d’affaires and to require a reduction in the number of Iranian diplomats stationed in the UAE, news agencies reported on Monday.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement said that Saif Al Zaabi, the UAE Ambassador in Tehran, has been summoned home, in accordance with this decision.
“This exceptional step has been taken in the light of Iran’s continuous interference in the internal affairs of Gulf and Arab states, which has reached unprecedented levels,” the statement said.
The ministry statement emphasized that positive and natural relations between states should be based on mutual respect for the sovereignty of states and the adoption of a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of others.
The UAE decision followed the Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Sudan severing their relations with Iran on Monday.