The Emirates’ foreign ministry said the meeting on Tuesday was a routine gathering of a joint committee Official says joint committee aims to ensure the safety of UAE citizens and fishermen DUBAI: The UAE and Iranian officials have met in Tehran to discuss maritime affairs. The Emirates’ foreign ministry said the meeting on Tuesday was a routine gathering of a joint committee, which was formed to discuss maritime connections, illegal entries and smuggling, fish ing and shared borders. Salem Mohammed Al Zaabi, director of the UAE’s International Security Cooperation Department, said he was satisfied with how the meeting went. “The objective behind the meeting is to ensure the safety of UAE citizens, including the country"s fishermen,” he said. The aim of the meeting was to address routine maritime agenda issues between the two countries, he said. The meeting comes after heightened tensions between Arab Gulf countries and Iran as the US intensifies economic sanctions against Tehran. Iran has been accused of attacking shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz - the narrow waterway which marks the entrance to the Arabian Gulf and through which around a fifth of the world’s oil is transported.