The United Arab Emirates has in recent days canceled the residency visas of Iranians outside the country, leaving some stranded abroad, according to accounts and information received by Iran International from affected individuals.
Iranian residents discovered their visas had been revoked before returning to the UAE, preventing their re-entry, several affected individuals told Iran International, as relations between the two countries deteriorate following Iranian strikes on the Arab state.
Earlier reports had also pointed to the cancellation of tourist visas for Iranian nationals traveling to the UAE.
Several individuals described sudden cancellations while traveling. One Iranian resident said that after leaving for India with his family following the outbreak of war, he found his residency had been revoked, while his non-Iranian family members were still able to return.
Another said his residency tied to a 10-year “golden visa” had been canceled while he was abroad. A London-based Iranian with a UK work visa said he discovered his UAE residency had been revoked before traveling to Dubai.
As of the time of reporting, no official statement has been issued by UAE authorities. Iran International requested clarification from Emirati officials but has not received a response.
The developments come amid escalating regional tensions. Following the start of joint US-Israeli strikes against the Islamic Republic, Iran launched attacks on countries in the region, with the UAE reportedly facing the highest volume.
Iran has so far launched 393 ballistic and cruise missiles and 1,835 drones toward the UAE, resulting in at least 10 deaths and 171 injuries, including Iranian nationals, according to official statistics.
In response, UAE authorities have suspended the operations of Iran-linked institutions, including an Iranian hospital, Iranian schools, the Club of Iranians, the UAE branch of Islamic Azad University, and the Imam Hossein mosque.
Housing units tied to these institutions have been vacated, and staff whose visas were linked to them — including teachers and some medical personnel — have had their residencies canceled, according to information obtained by Iran International.
At least five Iranian schools in the UAE have been closed, with student records returned to families.
Individuals whose residencies were revoked are being repatriated to Iran via Afghanistan, first transferred to Herat and then crossing by land.
UAE authorities have also instructed Iran’s consulate in Dubai to reduce its staff and continue operating with minimal personnel.
Senior UAE officials have in recent weeks taken unusually direct positions against Iran. Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan described the Islamic Republic as “terrorist,” saying the UAE would never submit to “terrorist blackmail.”
President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan earlier called Iran an “enemy” and warned that the country was “not an easy target.”
Washington’s sanctions waiver, introduced during the Iran war to ease oil supply pressure, is channeling discounted crude away from China and toward India, strengthening energy ties with New Delhi.
In response to Operation Epic Fury, Tehran turned to asymmetric leverage, relying on its capacity to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and drive up global oil prices.
Anticipating market volatility, the US Treasury issued a targeted sanctions waiver designed to stabilize oil markets while preserving financial pressure on Tehran.
Yet as the waiver framework evolved from an India-specific mechanism into a more generalized policy, it continued in practice to serve Indian refiners, redirecting sanctioned crude away from China and toward India.
The Russian test case
On March 5, Treasury issued a waiver allowing Indian refiners — IOC, BPCL, HPCL, and Reliance Industries — to purchase already-produced Russian crude cargoes that were on the water.
When Treasury expanded the waiver on March 12–13, Indian refiners remained the only significant buyers of the authorized Russian barrels. The expansion continued to apply only to cargoes already on the water, did not restore formal banking channels, and did not lift underlying sanctions.
Miad Maleki, a former US Treasury official, described General License U as authorizing “the commodity transaction; it says nothing about payment.” The license permits the sale of oil but does not restore banking access or create a formal payment channel. That distinction allowed trade in physical barrels while preserving financial pressure.
The Iranian extension
The March 20 application of the same waiver model to roughly 170 million barrels of Iranian crude floating offshore replicated the policy — and once again, India remained the only swing buyer.
Reliance Industries, the largest Indian public company, purchased 5 million barrels of Iranian crude at a $7 premium to Brent. The same Indian refiners, IOC, BPCL, and HPCL, reportedly plan to resume purchases.
Homayoun Falakshahi, head of crude oil analysis at Kpler, said Iranian crude often remains unsold until reaching Asian discharge zones such as Singapore or Malaysia. Because many cargoes were already produced but waiting for buyers, releasing them under the waiver had immediate supply effects. He added: “Now that India has entered as a competitor, the price in China will most likely increase.”
In effect, India’s participation disrupted China’s near-monopsony over sanctioned Iranian crude — reshaping pricing leverage without formally lifting sanctions.
Read more: Iranian expats say UAE canceled their residency visas, leaving many stranded
Source: Iran International
