Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have resumed trade and air transport after months of suspension, in a move that reflects the beginning of the return of relative calm to the region and the re-normalization of economic relations between the two countries.
Mohammad Sadegh Ghanadzadeh, deputy director of commercial services affairs at the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, announced the reactivation of trade exchanges through the port of Jebel Ali, while the spokesman of the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran Majid Akhvan confirmed the resumption of flights this week.
Ghanadzadeh told Iran 's state-run IRNA news agency that the port of Jebel Ali has historically been the main trade corridor between the two countries, and that the halt in the transport of goods during the "third imposed war period" led to the accumulation of Iranian containers at the port, and the impossibility of clearing goods due to security conditions.
"With the return of relative calm, clearance operations have begun again, and transit movement has gradually returned to normal levels.
The move came after the first phone call since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, where Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi discussed regional developments following the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, where the Emirati minister stressed during the call the protection of sea lanes and ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran resumes flights with UAE
In this context, the spokesman of Iran's Civil Aviation announced that flights between Iran and the UAE will resume this week following talks between the officials of the two countries' civil aviation authorities , and the follow-up of efforts through diplomatic channels, according to IRNA.
The Iranian official considered that this comes within the framework of the re-normalization of regular flights with neighboring countries, and in coordination between Iran and the UAE, where it was decided in the first phase that Iranian airlines will resume their flights to the UAE after they are nominated and informed to the Emirati side.
"In the next phase, UAE airlines will resume their air operations, after submitting a list of companies approved by them, which will contribute to restoring the cycle of interaction and bilateral cooperation in the air transport sector to normal," he concluded.
Behind the scenes of the truce between the UAE and Iran
Cross-cutting reports confirmed that the decisions to resume flights and open trade routes came as a result of a complex negotiation process that began behind closed doors after weeks of unprecedented military and economic escalation between the two sides, as international sources spoke of tactical financial understandings related to frozen Iranian assets in the UAE, part of which was said to be on the table as part of the de-escalation arrangements, despite Abu Dhabi's official denial of these reports in order to preserve its legal and international position.
The moment Washington and Tehran signed the interim "60-day agreement," the rare phone call between Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi was a clear signal that de-escalation had become a mutual option that could not be ignored.
During the early weeks of the war, Iran carried out large-scale attacks that included more than 400 ballistic missiles and nearly 2,000 drones targeting Dubai International Airport, Jebel Ali Port Complex, ADNOC facilities, data centers and hotels, in an attempt to strike at the heart of the UAE's economic model.
Abu Dhabi responded with sharp political steps, most notably withdrawing from OPEC, tightening restrictions on institutions linked to Tehran, closing Iranian schools and clubs, and restricting visas and transit, which constituted direct economic pressure on Iran.
Jebel Ali Port of the United Arab Emirates
Jebel Ali Port, the largest container port in the Middle East, one of the most important logistics hubs globally and the largest artificial seaport in the world, in addition to being the largest commercial port in the Middle East without competition, operatedby DP World, constitutes the most important link point between the markets of East and West, making it an indispensable logistics hub in international trade.
Located about 35 kilometers southwest of Dubai, the port spans a vast area of more than 60 jetties, with a depth that allows receiving the world's largest container ships, and is directly linked to the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), which is one of the largest industrial and commercial zones in the world, and includes thousands of companies benefiting from tax and customs exemptions.
The port has a capacity of more than 22.4 million TEUs per year and is connected to more than 150 ports around the world, making it the main trade gateway to the Gulf, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent and Africa.
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