Iran’s Raisi Opts Out Of COP28 Due To Israeli Presence

Iran's president claims he will not attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, citing the presence of his Israeli counterpart.

Israeli president Isaac Herzog will be in the United Arab Emirates along with around 140 other world leaders for the world's biggest climate summit which begins Friday, to be opened by Britain's King Charles.

Fars News Agency, known for its proximity to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported on Thursday that Raisi will not only be absent from the conference but will also not have a representative attending on his behalf.

According to the report, Iran will only participate in the conference at the ministerial level, with the representation led by the minister of energy.

The UAE and Israel normalized relations during the presidency of Donald Trump in the United States when in 2020 the Abraham Accords opened diplomatic ties along with other Arab nations such as Bahrain.

During Herzog's inaugural visit to the UAE last year, the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen sent a ballistic missile to the Persian Gulf state amidst a period of attacks which killed three. The missile was intercepted by the UAE.

The Houthis' military spokesman said they fired Zulfiqar missiles at Abu Dhabi and launched drones at Dubai.