UAE Denies "Categorically" Claims Regarding Transfer of Funds to Iran

SadaNews - The United Arab Emirates has "categorically" denied what was reported in media reports "regarding the transfer or remittance of any funds from the UAE to Iran, including claims related to an amount of 3 billion dollars."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed, in a statement according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), that these claims are false and are not based on any facts or reliable information, emphasizing that no frozen Iranian funds have been released or transferred via the UAE.

The ministry also called on the media to verify accuracy and obtain information from official sources, and not to circulate or publish unverified information or claims that lack credibility.

Reuters had reported - citing two regional sources - that the UAE agreed to release frozen Iranian assets valued at a total of 10 billion dollars, with more than 3 billion dollars already transferred, as part of meetings between officials from both countries.

Reuters mentioned that talks between the UAE and Iran began several weeks ago, but accelerated after Iranian officials visited Abu Dhabi last week and met Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, before Emirati officials traveled to Tehran to negotiate the technical details of the mechanism.

The agency added that an initial payment of 3 billion dollars has already become available to Iran, while a source indicated that the release of Iranian assets provides an exit that helps solve the dispute between the United States and Iran, without either side crossing their red lines, according to Reuters.

Reuters quoted an Emirati official stating that his country is seeking to ease tensions and promote peace, stressing that the UAE's foreign policy is guided by de-escalation and reducing tensions in the region, and supporting efforts aimed at protecting the peoples of the region from the repercussions of conflicts.

The source added - according to Reuters - that Iran will stop attacks on the UAE, and bilateral relations between the two sides will be rebuilt, including the exchange of intelligence information and economic cooperation, in exchange for the release of Iranian assets. The source noted that Iran has contacted at least two other Gulf states in an effort to reach similar arrangements.