Rather than taking sweeping measures that would signal an escalation beyond its purely defensive posture, the UAE this week quietly banned most Iranians from entering the country or transiting its airports. The UAE is home to more than half a million Iranians, many of whom are connected to ruling elites in Tehran.
According to advice posted on the websites of the UAE’s state-owned airlines Emirates, FlyDubai and Etihad late on Tuesday, only Iranians with long-term residency visas granted to business and property owners were exempted, along with skilled professionals, and the spouses and children of Emirati citizens.
The restrictions, which became widely known through social media posts rather than official channels, alarmed the Iranian expatriate community, with many fearing mass expulsions.
In a statement on Thursday, the UAE foreign ministry sought to calm their fears, reassuring residents that its “institutional approach is guided by well-established procedures and frameworks that safeguard the safety and well-being of all members of society, without exception”.
