Iran and UAE ties sour, and other major developments in the Middle East

Iran rejected the United Arab Emirates’ accusation that it fired two ballistic missiles that landed in the Persian Gulf, as Tehran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator landed in neighboring Iraq for a three day visit.

Meanwhile, France announced that it will expel two Iranian diplomats in response to the expulsion of French diplomats from the Islamic Republic earlier this week.

The souring of ties between the UAE and Iran comes amid fears of renewed escalation in the region, with no apparent renewed talks between Iran and the United States on the horizon.

Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Wednesday. Full coverage can be found here.

Iran denies UAE accusation of launching ballistic missiles

Tehran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wednesday criticized the United Arab Emirates for accusing Iran of launching two ballistic missiles “targeting maritime navigation” but fell into the Persian Gulf. In the weeks after the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, the UAE was frequently targeted by Iranian missiles and drones, but Tuesday’s reported attack was the first in weeks.

“This behavior is contrary to the principle of good neighborliness and disrupts ongoing efforts to strengthen trust between regional countries and prevent escalation in the region,” Esmail Baghaei said in his weekly news conference.

Not long after the incident Tuesday, the UAE Foreign Ministry said it suspended trade with Iran “in light of regional escalations that undermine regional and international peace and security.”

It comes less than a week after Abu Dhabi accused Iran of firing drones at two tankers operated by a state-owned oil company as they sailed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker and top negotiator visits Iraq

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf arrived in neighboring Iraq Wednesday for a three-day visit where he will meet with Iraqi officials and leaders of an Iran-backed political coalition.

Iran-backed Iraqi militias have launched and claim drone attacks targeting U.S. bases and diplomatic presence both within the country and abroad, piling the pressure on Baghdad which for years has delicately tried to maintain strong ties between both Washington and Tehran. President Donald Trump last month welcomed his Iraqi counterpart Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the White House, showering him with praise.

Qalibaf on Wednesday praised the country’s Tehran-backed militias — which he called the “resistance in Iraq” — describing them as a “key component of the country’s national power.”

“After years of experience in Iraq, the resistance has gone beyond the borders of the two countries and has become an influential force at the regional and global levels,” Qalibaf said.

Iran has long relied on its top allies and proxies, notably the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon and the Yemeni Houthi rebels, in years of Mideast conflict.

France and Iran expel diplomats

France announced Wednesday that it will expel two staff members of the Iranian Embassy in France, in response to what the French Foreign Ministry described as an assault by Iranian security forces against two French diplomatic staff in the Islamic Republic last month.

Iran accused the French pair of taking part in a secret meeting with “suspects in a major case involving foreign infiltration and interference,” Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The French diplomats were expelled on Monday.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot slammed the Iranian authorities for not investigating what he called a “premeditated and deliberate attack.” He said the two Iranians will leave Paris in the coming days.

“Iranian authorities chose to make entirely false accusations against French personnel and fabricate a case of foreign interference to justify their actions,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

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Associated Press writers Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut, Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contribute to this report.

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