UAE, after Kuwait, releases Iranian prisoners

Beatrice Farhat

Jul 13, 2023

The flags of United Nations member states (L to R) Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Libya, Liberia, Lesotho, Lebanon, Latvia, Laos, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Kiribati, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Japan, Jamaica, Italy, Israel, Ireland, Iraq, Iran, Indonesia, India, and others fly in alphabetical order during the COP27 climate conference at the Sharm el-Sheikh International Convention Centre, in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of the same name, on Nov. 14, 2022. — AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images

The United Arab Emirates released 15 Iranian prisoners on Thursday, the Iranian press reported, in the latest step toward normalization between Arab Gulf countries and the Islamic Republic.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the prisoners were pardoned following discussions between Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Emirati officials during the former’s visit to the Gulf country last month. The statement went on that the prisoners will return home as soon as administrative procedures are completed.

The UAE has yet to comment on the news. It remains unclear why the Iranians had been imprisoned there.

In a similar move this week, Kuwait also released 11 Iranian prisoners who arrived in Tehran late on Tuesday as part of an extradition treaty signed between the two countries in 2006.