Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held their first face-to-face meeting since the West Asia conflict began on February 28, meeting on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12. They discussed regional de-escalation, stability and ongoing peace initiatives, while both countries endorsed the BRICS New Delhi Declaration. The statement urged maximum restraint and called for the protection of civilians, sovereignty, trade, supply chains and energy flows. The meeting came about three weeks after the UAE suspended all trade and financial transactions with Iran on August 19 following Iranian missile launches toward Emirati territory. Their engagement also followed an open clash between UAE and Iranian delegations at the May 2026 BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting. The UAE’s suspension remains in effect, and Emirati officials have not publicly indicated that it will be lifted soon, suggesting that normalization remains a prolonged process dependent on Iranian actions as well as dialogue.