UAE Hands Iranian 10-Year Sentence over Sanctions Breach

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 program, in breach of international sanctions," state news agency WAM reported.

It did not say when the offense 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 U.S.-led coalition's fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.