TEHRAN -- Iran said it has appointed an ambassador to the United Arab Emirates for the first time since 2016, amid a realignment of relations between Persian Gulf states and the Islamic Republic.
Iran’s newly appointed ambassador Reza Ameri had served as the director general of the Iranian expatriates office in the foreign ministry. His career had previously taken him to Algeria, Sudan and Eritrea.
The move comes after the UAE in August moved to upgrade ties and said it was returning its ambassador to Tehran.
The UAE downgraded relations with Iran after Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran in January 2016 when Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran.
In a step change to years of hostility with Iran, Riyadh last month said it would re-establish relations with Tehran in a China-brokered deal.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has accepted an invitation to Riyadh from Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, First Vice President Muhammad Mokhber confirmed on Monday.
The UAE, which has business and trade ties with Iran stretching back more than a century, started re-engaging with Tehran in 2019 after mysterious attacks in Persian Gulf waters.