UAE leader welcomes Iranian foreign minister in latest softening of Persian Gulf tensions

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The president of the United Arab Emirates has met with Iran’s visiting foreign minister in the latest sign of improving relations between Arab Gulf countries and the Islamic Republic. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have long harbored suspicions about Iran because of its nuclear program and support for militant groups across the region. They have cultivated close defense ties with the U.S. in response. But in recent months they have charted a more independent path, reaching out to U.S. adversaries as Washington increasingly focuses on Russia and China. The UAE, home to the futuristic cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, was the driving force behind the Abraham Accords, in which four Arab countries forged ties with Israel.