UAE Categorically Denies: No Money Transferred to Iran

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (MoFA) released a statement today, June 13, 2026, rejecting all reports concerning the release or transfer of frozen Iranian assets [1]. This reaction followed claims by some international news agencies that Abu Dhabi had transferred huge sums to Tehran to reduce regional tensions.

Details of Abu Dhabi's Official Denial The official statement from the UAE government noted that claims regarding the transfer of amounts such as $3 billion to Iran are completely false [5]. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that no frozen assets belonging to Iran have been released, transferred, or facilitated through the UAE banking system. Emirati officials urged the media to exercise more precision in reporting and to cite only official sources [3].

Roots of the Controversy; The Reuters Report The controversy began when Reuters, citing four informed sources, claimed that the UAE had agreed to release $10 to $20 billion of Iranian assets in a "tactical shift" [2]. According to this alleged report, more than $3 billion of this amount had already been transferred to Tehran on June 8, 2026, via a Boeing 737 aircraft [4]. Reuters claimed this action was part of a larger agreement to halt Iranian drone and missile attacks on Emirati ports such as Fujairah and Jebel Ali, which have been targeted in recent months.

De-escalation Amid Regional Conflicts Media reports suggested that senior IRGC officials met with Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, the UAE National Security Advisor, in Abu Dhabi last week to agree on a de-escalation mechanism [4]. However, the UAE has rejected these claims, emphasizing that its foreign policy is based on regional stability and diplomatic solutions, and it denies any rumors of payments in exchange for security [1].

Reactions in Iran and Financial Markets Inside Iran, official news agencies such as Mehr and Tasnim, citing informed sources, also denied the news of cash transfers by plane [3]. Analysts believe the dissemination of such news amidst sensitive negotiations between Tehran and Washington to end recent conflicts could be aimed at influencing financial markets and diplomatic processes [2]. Currently, Abu Dhabi emphasizes the need to adhere to media ethics and prevent the spread of unconfirmed news that could jeopardize regional security.