Updated

The United Arab Emirates says Iran's top diplomat has held talks with the U.S.-allied nation's leader in a further sign of Tehran's outreach to its Gulf Arab neighbors.

Emirati state news agency WAM says Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met Wednesday with the federation's president, Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in the Emirati oasis city of Al Ain.

It says the Emirati leader told Zarif the UAE welcomed Tehran's decision last month agreed to freeze parts of its nuclear program in return for an easing of Western sanctions. He says his nation looks forward to enhancing regional security and boosting bilateral cooperation.

Iran has a tense relationship with the Gulf Arab states, though its new leadership is trying to mend ties. Zarif recently visited nearby Kuwait and Oman.