TEHRAN - Tehran said that 15 Iranian inmates who have been pardoned by UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will come home shortly.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that the release follows Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian’s travel to the UAE last month, where he spoke with high-ranking Emirati officials.

The ministry also stated that it will continue to provide consular and legal assistance to Iranians living abroad, as well as pursue the fulfillment of their rights, including those of prisoners.

Amir Abdollahian traveled to the UAE on June 22 and met separately with the President and Foreign Minister of the UAE, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to discuss bilateral ties and measures to further collaboration.

The trip was preceded by stops in Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman as part of a flurry of diplomatic actions by Tehran to strengthen ties with neighbors and protect the region. 

Recently, seven more Iranians were freed from prison in Qatar while 11 more were liberated from jail in Kuwait.