Iran to UAE: Don’t bow to US pressure

Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi says Tehran has warned the United Arab Emirates not to bow to the US pressure.

Rahimi said on Tuesday that the UAE has adopted some anti-Iran measures which, he added, would not harm the Islamic Republic.

He noted that the measures are not in the interests of the UAE either.

Rahimi rejected reports that Iran has cut trade ties with the Persian Gulf country.

Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast had rejected reports about Tehran halting trade with the UAE.

According to the reports, Iran’s Trade Development Organization (ITDO) has refused to register new orders from the neighboring country.

Mehmanparast, however, explained that the Iranian Industry, Mines and Commerce Ministry’s order registration website was down on Tuesday due to technical problems.

Trade between Iran and its southern neighbor is long established, as the Strait of Hormuz separates the UAE from Iran by only 54 kilometers at its narrowest point.

The Persian Gulf emirate is, however, under increasingly intense pressure from the United States to curb trade with Iran.