Washington steps up pressure on Tehran as Witkoff holds secret meeting with UAE adviser

The United States and the United Arab Emirates are coordinating their policies toward Iran as Washington intensifies economic pressure on Tehran, while Abu Dhabi has temporarily suspended trade with the Islamic Republic.

According to two sources cited by Axios, Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s envoy, secretly met Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates’ national security adviser, in Sardinia.

The White House did not disclose the meeting, which took place as the Trump administration works to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and increase economic pressure on Iran.

The Emirates is considered a key partner in efforts to ensure the safe passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

Abu Dhabi’s suspension of financial and commercial transactions with Iran represents a significant blow to Tehran.

For years, the Emirates, and Dubai in particular, has served as an important hub for Iranian trade and re-exports. In 2024, trade between the two countries reached approximately $28 billion.

Sources said the decision was driven primarily by attacks by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard against tankers linked to the Emirates’ state-owned oil company that were attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time, the Trump administration is further expanding its campaign of economic pressure against Tehran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that countries, companies and individuals that continue to do business with Iran could face measures.

The US Treasury Department has also taken action against the UAE branches of an Egyptian bank over transactions conducted with Iran. Following this, the Central Bank of the UAE said it would subject those transactions to an urgent review.

Meanwhile, US embassies have been instructed to urge other governments to halt trade with Iran and identify activities that Washington considers illegal.

Countries and companies that do not end trade with Iran risk being hit with US sanctions and facing restrictions on access to the dollar-based financial system.

To coordinate the implementation of this economic pressure campaign against Iran, the Trump administration is establishing an interagency working group. In this context, the secret meeting in Sardinia between Witkoff and the senior Emirati official is seen as part of US efforts to coordinate with allies on both economic measures and maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz.