UAE vice president discusses de-escalation efforts with Iran’s parliament speaker

The vice president of the United Arab Emirates discussed de-escalation efforts on Wednesday with Iran’s parliament speaker, the state news agency WAM reported.

Discussions between Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan over the phone with Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf dwelt on regional developments and ways to de-escalate tensions in the region, WAM said.

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 3,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets and restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz before a two-week ceasefire was announced last week.

The US and Iran held rare direct talks in Pakistan this weekend aimed at ending their conflict, but the talks ended early Sunday without any agreement.