​From left: PM Narendra Modi with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian; Pezeshkian with UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Donald Trump with Sheikh Khaled.NEW DELHI: A day after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the Brics Summit in New Delhi, Tehran signalled a push to move past the conflict and strengthen ties with its Gulf neighbour.Pezeshkian said Iran had no problems with the UAE or other regional countries, drawing a distinction between Tehran's relations with its neighbours and its opposition to US military bases in the region. His remarks came after the meeting with the UAE leadership at a time when the West Asia conflict has strained relations across the region.“We have no problems with the UAE. We have no problem with any of the regional countries. We have a problem with the American bases located in these countries and from which they are attacking our country,” Pezeshkian said.Pezeshkian said Iran considered the UAE and other Gulf states to be “brothers” and expressed a desire to expand relations with them. “The UAE, the Emiratis and other countries of the region are our brothers. We have been living together for a long time and we have had trade. We have supported each other,” he said.Iran draws line between UAE and US basesPezeshkian on Sunday said Tehran's objection was directed at the use of territory in neighbouring countries by the United States rather than at the Gulf states themselves.“So this is the US that has come here and established bases, and from those bases they martyr our children, they attack our infrastructure and bomb, and they target our leaders, commanders and people,” he said.“In fact, the problem is that the friendly and neighbouring countries should not allow enemies to utilise their soil to attack our country,” the Iranian President added.He said Tehran wanted to strengthen ties with the UAE and other neighbouring countries. “Right now, we have a good relation with the UAE and we can expand it, and with other countries, the same happened. So we would like to have a sincere relation with all of them,” Pezeshkian said.The Iranian President also accused the United States of seeking to exploit the region's energy resources while using arms sales to deepen divisions among regional countries.“However, it is the US which does not want this to happen,” he said, alleging that Washington wanted to "utilise our petroleum reservoirs of the region” while selling weapons and missiles to regional countries “in order to scare us from each other and pit us against each other.”“It is actually exploiting the capital of the region and also it is destroying the peace and stability,” Pezeshkian said.Iran, UAE leaders meet in DelhiPezeshkian's comments came a day after his meeting with UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the Brics Summit in New Delhi.The meeting brought the Iranian and Emirati leadership together as the expanded Brics grouping discussed the escalating conflict in West Asia. Details of the talks were not immediately made public.The meeting was significant against the backdrop of tensions between Iran and several Gulf states over the wider regional conflict. The UAE has also maintained security partnerships with Western powers, a point repeatedly criticised by Tehran.The New Delhi Summit nevertheless provided a platform for direct engagement between regional powers that have differed over the conflict.Pezeshkian calls for regional cooperationPezeshkian said Iran wanted neighbouring countries to pool their capabilities to improve regional security and promote economic and cultural ties.“We, with the neighbouring and regional countries, can share our powers in order to help each other and establish security and help our people in order to promote our culture and economy again,” he said.His remarks came as the Brics Summit sought to build consensus on the escalating West Asia crisis, with the conflict emerging as a major issue during discussions in New Delhi.Brics declaration calls for restraintBrics leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026, expressing serious concern over the escalation in West Asia and calling for maximum restraint, dialogue and diplomacy.The declaration called for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and stressed the importance of maintaining global trade, supply chains and energy flows amid the conflict.It also expressed concern over attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, stressing that nuclear safety and security must be maintained even during armed conflicts.The declaration called for the implementation of relevant UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions and urged all parties to maintain a ceasefire and ensure full and unhindered humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip.The Iran-UAE engagement in New Delhi, followed by Pezeshkian's comments on closer regional ties, came as the Brics platform sought to position itself as a forum for dialogue and diplomacy amid the continuing West Asia crisis.