LONDON - The United Arab Emirates seek a de-escalation of tension in the Middle East, the head of state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said on Tuesday, after Iran accused the United States of closing the path to diplomacy with new sanctions.

"The UAE will work ... to defuse and deescalate the current threat," Sultan al-Jaber, chief executive of ADNOC and minister of state, told a conference in London. "Now is the time for wisdom, diplomacy and the concerted efforts of the international community."

(Reporting By Ahmed Ghaddar and Karen Strohecker; Writing by Shadia Nasralla; Editing by Edmund Blair) ((Shadia.Nasralla@thomsonreuters.com; +44 207 542 5083; +44 778 99 43141; Reuters Messaging: Reuters Messaging: shadia.nasralla.reuters.com@reuters.net))