The Emirates Coast Guard opened fire on Iranian fishing boats north of Abu Nuair Island and killed two fishermen. The UAE said it was trying to stop eight ships that violated the Emirates' maritime boundaries.
In response, the Iranians seized the Emirati boat and its crew, accusing them of the same violations. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said that the country is ready to protect its ships and its people by any means available.
After a while, the UAE acknowledged the fact of the incident, apologized and expressed its readiness to pay compensation to Tehran, asking them to return their fishermen.
In general, no extraordinary things happened. These are frequent incidents between the UAE and Iran in the waters of the Gulf. Therefore, there is no doubt that both countries will calmly resolve this issue.
However, the regional background of what is happening is interesting. A week ago, Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed an agreement to normalize relations, after which Iran said that the Emirates were making themselves a legitimate target of the "axis of resistance" and undermining their position on Israel.
In addition, the United States is trying to increase pressure on Iran, intending to restore UN sanctions against it, as well as forming a coalition that could potentially help in a possible conflict between the United States and Iran.
Therefore, the incident between Abu Dhabi and Tehran is clearly fueled by an unstable and tense regional context, which is increasingly causing debate about the likelihood of a major new conflict in the Middle East.
