United News of Bangladesh

Iran has rejected the United Arab Emirates' accusation that it fired two ballistic missiles that fell into the Persian Gulf, as Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and the country's top negotiator arrived in neighboring Iraq for a three-day visit. Meanwhile, France said it would expel two Iranian diplomats in response to Iran's expulsion of two French diplomats earlier this week. The worsening ties between Iran and the UAE come amid growing fears of renewed conflict in the region, with no clear sign of fresh talks between Iran and the United States. Here are the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East: Iran rejects UAE missile accusation Iran on Wednesday rejected the UAE's claim that it fired two ballistic missiles toward maritime traffic, saying the missiles later fell into the Persian Gulf. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei criticized the UAE's statement, saying it went against good relations between neighboring countries and efforts to reduce tensions. The UAE had frequently come under Iranian missile and drone attacks after the United States and Israel launched military action against Iran on Feb 28. Tuesday's reported missile incident was the first such attack in several weeks. Following the incident, the UAE Foreign Ministry said it had suspended trade with Iran because of regional tensions that it said were threatening peace and security. The latest dispute came less than a week after Abu Dhabi accused Iran of attacking two tankers operated by a state-owned oil company with drones while they were sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's parliament speaker visits Iraq Qalibaf arrived in Iraq on Wednesday for a three-day visit during which he is scheduled to meet Iraqi officials and leaders of an Iran-backed political coalition. Iran-backed Iraqi militias have claimed responsibility for drone attacks on US military bases and diplomatic facilities in Iraq and elsewhere. The attacks have increased pressure on Baghdad as it tries to maintain close relations with both Washington and Tehran. Qalibaf praised the Iran-backed Iraqi militias, referring to them as the "resistance in Iraq" and describing them as an important part of the country's national strength. He said the groups had developed into an influential force beyond Iraq and Iran and now had an impact at both regional and global levels. Iran has long relied on allied groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels in Yemen, during conflicts across the Middle East. France, Iran expel diplomats France said Wednesday it would expel two Iranian Embassy staff members in response to what Paris described as an attack by Iranian security forces on two French diplomatic staff in Iran last month. Iran accused the French diplomats of attending a secret meeting with people suspected of involvement in a major case of foreign infiltration and interference, according to Iran's state-run Islamic Republic News Agency. The two French diplomats were expelled on Monday. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot criticized Iran for failing to investigate what he described as a deliberate attack. He said the two Iranian diplomats would leave France in the coming days. Barrot said Iranian authorities had made false allegations against French personnel and created a case of foreign interference to justify their actions.