The United Arab Emirates has halted all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice, according to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Afra Al Hameli, director of the ministry’s Strategic Communications Department, said the measure came amid regional escalation affecting regional and international peace and security. “All trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran have been halted until further notice,” she said.
The announcement followed an August 18 missile alert. UAE air defences detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran towards the country, with one falling outside UAE territorial waters and the second within them. Neither struck land.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei denied that Iran had launched missiles towards the UAE and called the allegation “baseless”.
The move comes less than two months after direct cargo shipping between the UAE and Iran resumed through Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port in late June. Direct shipping had been suspended in early March. The trade relationship is significant. Iran imported $21.01bn of goods from the UAE in 2024, accounting for 30.6% of its total imports of $68.55bn. Iran exported $7.16bn of goods to the UAE, equivalent to 12.8% of its total exports.