On Thursday, the White House reported a phone conversation between President Trump and Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates.

According to the White House report, the two emphasized on “United States’ continued support of UAE national security and bolstering the regional coalition and imposing paralyzing sanctions against Iran.”

Trump and Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan also discussed the contribution of UAE to the global energy market as a “reliable oil producer”.

The phone call is taking place two weeks before the Trump administration’s final decision regarding the sanction exemptions for countries that import Iranian oil.

After the United States left the JCPOA (Iran Nuclear Deal) and reinstated the sanctions against Iran, eight countries were exempted from these sanctions for six months.

It has been predicted that the exemptions will be extended, on the condition that these countries reduce their oil import from Iran significantly.

The price of oil has increased to $72 a barrel, which is the highest it has been in five months. Therefore, the United States is acting more cautiously in reducing Iran’s oil export. Trump has asked the members of OPEC to increase their production to help stabilize the oil prices.

Cooperation between the United States and UAE and Saudi Arabia is very important in fighting the influence of the Islamic Republic in the region. Saudi Arabia and UAE are currently at war with Houthis in Yemen who are backed by the Islamic Republic.