UAE government-linked jet lands in Tehran as regional tensions rise

Flight trackers say this is the second time in 48 hours that a UAE jet has landed in Tehran Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi upon his arrival in Tehran, on 19 October 2026 (Atta Kenare/AFP) Published date: 19 October 2026 21:16 BST | Last update: 5 sec ago A Boeing jet known to carry senior UAE officials landed in Tehran on Monday for the second time in a few days, amid fears that the US could resume attacking Iran and spark new strikes on Gulf states. A Boeing 737 belonging to Royal Jet, a private charter owned by the UAE government, arrived in Tehran on Monday from Abu Dhabi. The aircraft made the same journey on Saturday, according to open-source intelligence analysts. The flights come amid heightened risks of a return to full-scale war between the US and Iran. The US State Department issued a warning on Sunday to US citizens across the Middle East. “Americans traveling to or from the Middle East should monitor information about airport and airline operations and develop contingency plans… Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other US interests overseas,” the warning said. The UAE was one of the most hawkish Gulf states towards Iran after the US and Israel attacked its neighbour in February 2026. The UAE joined the US and Israel in launching hundreds of strikes on Iran. Abu Dhabi also tried to prevent mediation from Pakistan. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters But the UAE was also one of the countries hardest hit by Iran’s reprisals to the US-Israeli attack. The Gulf state, which has prided itself on being a regional safe haven, faced thousands of missile and drone strikes. Its port of Fujairah, which sits just outside the Strait of Hormuz, was repeatedly attacked by sophisticated Iranian strikes targeting infrastructure that allows for the export of oil. Reuters reported in June that the UAE eventually paid Iran billions of dollars in protection to stop strikes. The Gulf state delivered $3bn to Iran as part of the agreement and eventually agreed to pay $20bn in total. The UAE denied paying Iran. Speculation was rife on Monday that the UAE could be negotiating with Iran ahead of an escalation in the war on Iran. Netanyahu map shows RSF 'friendly' to Israel and UAE, backing for separatist movements Read More » US President Donald Trump raised the stakes of fresh strikes on Iran in an endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of general elections this month. Trump said on Sunday he wanted Netanyahu to remain in office to help him “finish the job” against Iran “unless they change their ways rapidly”. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi fired back against Trump’s statement on X. “Last time you wanted to ‘finish the job’, Iran emerged even stronger. Want to try your luck again? Be our guest. But be careful; we have unfinished jobs too,” he warned. “Netanyahu is driving America into another war to stay out of jail, whatever the consequences for Israel - let alone POTUS,” he added. The Emirati flights to Iran came against a flurry of other diplomatic activity in the region. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday in Tehran. Russia provided intelligence support to Iran to assist in targeting US bases, according to the Financial Times and other news reports. Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.