White House Envoy Steve Witkoff met Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates' national security adviser, on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia last weekend to discuss next steps in the Iranian crisis and other issues, two sources said. The previously unannounced meeting took place as the Trump administration worked with the UAE to reopen and guide oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz while tightening economic pressure on Iran. The talks followed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's announcement of Operation Economic Outcast, which targets countries and entities doing business with Iran. On the same day as the meeting, the Treasury Department moved to exclude UAE branches of Egypt's Banque Misr from the U.S. financial system over their Iran business, while the UAE central bank ordered an urgent examination of the transactions. The UAE had halted all trade, commercial exchange and financial transactions with Iran after Iranian attacks on UAE national oil company tankers intensified. Trade between the countries reached $28 billion in 2024. The UAE's decision was influenced by expected secondary sanctions, but two sources said the main trigger was anger over the attacks. The United States is now pressing governments worldwide to sever trade with Iran, identify illicit activity and close IRGC-affiliated branches of Iran's Melli and Saderat banks. The Trump administration is also working to establish an interagency task force to coordinate enforcement of the campaign.