Biden underlines importance of normalization of UAE-Israel ties

WASHINGTON - US President Joe Biden, in a phone call on Tuesday with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, underlined the strategic importance of the normalization of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, the White House said in a statement.

Israel established formal relations with the UAE in September as part of a US-brokered agreement. The UAE and Israel share common concerns about Iran.

Biden and Prince Mohammed discussed "the nuclear and regional dimensions of the threat posed by Iran, as well as the common quest for de-escalation and peace" in the Middle East, the statement said.

Biden "underlined the strategic importance of the normalization of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel," it said. Biden "expressed his full support for strengthening and expanding these arrangements."

Biden and the crown prince also discussed Afghanistan and the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray region, the White House said.