The foreign ministers of Iran and the United Arab Emirates spoke via video call today, agreeing to cooperate in order to better tackle the coronavirus epidemic, The Guardian reports, citing Reuters.
The two countries are traditionally at odds, Iran being Shia Muslim whereas the UAE follows Sunni Muslim teachings. However, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan of the UAE sent his greetings to his Iranian counterpart Mohammed Javad Zarif in honor of the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival, and Zarif later tweeted that the two enjoyed "a very substantive, frank and friendly video conversation" on the epidemic as well as on "bilateral, regional and global situations."
He added that, "We agreed to continue dialogue on theme of hope, especially as region faces tough challenges, and tougher choices ahead."