A UAE court on Wednesday sentenced an Iranian to 10 years in prison followed by deportation for attempting to ship a generator to his home country in breach of international sanctions.
The appeals court in Abu Dhabi found the unnamed man guilty of "attempting to export a power generator to Iran for its nuclear programme, in breach of international sanctions," state news agency WAM reported.
It did not say when the offence was committed. Nuclear-related international sanctions on Iran were lifted following a landmark deal between Tehran and major powers in 2015.
The influence of Shiite-dominated Iran in the Middle East remains a major concern for Gulf countries, including the UAE.
Tehran is a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Yemen's Huthi rebels and Shiite armed groups in Iraq and Lebanon.
Authorities in Bahrain, where a crackdown on mainly Shiite protesters has seen hundreds jailed, have also accused Iran of backing opposition groups.
In a separate case, WAM reported that two men were sentenced to three years in prison and fined 500,000 dirhams ($136,000) each for "posting online information and ideas that aim to incite sedition, hatred and confessionalism."
Local daily Al-Ittihad cited judicial sources as saying the two men were citizens of Bahrain.
The UAE is a leading member of the Saudi-led coalition fighting Huthi rebels in Yemen. The Gulf state is also a key ally in the US-led coalition's fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.
Iran FM mocks US claims it is violating nuclear deal
Iran's foreign minister mocked US President Donald Trump's claim Tehran was "not living up to the spirit" of the nuclear deal on Friday, saying Washington was flouting the accord.
"We'll see if US prepared to live up to letter of #JCPOA (nuclear deal) let alone spirit," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.
"So far, it has defied both. Should I use my highlighter again?"
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