India-UAE ties

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the present crown prince of the Abu Dhabi emirate and the brother of the foreign minister, is dextrously leading the country to higher levels of political and social development and global influence. Clearly, he has decided to raise the strength of India-UAE ties in all areas, including in the security sector. His approach is fully reciprocated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India's interests demand a stable West Asian region. Millions of Indians live and work in the Arab Peninsular countries. Their safety and welfare would be harmed if armed hostilities break-out between the US and Iran. The area's oil rich countries are vital for India's energy security and significant commercial interests are tied up with the region too. With all this at stake India is closely monitoring the situation. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed's insights into what is transpiring behind the scenes would have provided valuable inputs into India's understanding of the situation and what may be expected in the weeks and months to come.
As this writer has noted in earlier columns the current difficulties can be traced to President Donald Trump's decision to walk out of the Iran nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). It is a multi-lateral agreement signed in July 2015 between Iran and six major powers—the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. The principal negotiating parties were Iran and the US under President Barack Obama. The core of the ten-year agreement ensured that Iran would not be able to make nuclear weapons as it would not enrich uranium beyond 3.67%. Iran also agreed to send its stockpiles abroad. In return the US agreed to gradually lift sanctions against Iran and other countries agreed to do so to.
The essential implication of the deal was to allow Iran space to return to a position of greater influence in regional affairs and also in the Islamic ummah. Consequently, greater Iranian impact began to be felt in Yemen and in regional countries especially with notable Shia populations. This was not acceptable to conservative sections of the US political opinion which look to West Asia through the prism of Israel and the Sunni Arab Peninsular states, including the UAE. These countries were implacably opposed to the deal and found a fellow-traveller in the Trump.