Iran dominated the first half of the semi-final at MHSK Stadium but failed to convert a string of chances with captain Rayam Sadeghian wasting the most clear cut chance just before the break.

But a minute before the hour mark right-back Dabbagh finally converted Iran’s dominance before Imamighareh’s thunderbolt and Heydari’s stoppage time tap-in sealed their place in Saturday’s final.

UAE finished the game with nine men as both captain Haddaf Abdulla and Mohamed Hussain were sent off in the closing stages.

On a sunny day in the Uzbekistan capital, Iran’s Omid Kharaji struck the foot of the UAE post from the edge of the area after just four minutes to signal Iran’s intentions.

UAE goalkeeper Eesa Abbas kept the scores level midway through the half as he produced a full length save to turn Mehrdad Yeganeh’s powerful rising strike over the crossbar before helping Mehrgan Golbarg’s dipping strike from the edge of the area over his bar on the half-hour mark.

The best chance of the half came five minutes before the break as Sadeghian beat the UAE offside trap, but with only Abbas to beat, pushed his shot wide of the upright from inside the area.

Following a slow start to the second period, Iran were finally rewarded a minute before the hour as Dabbagh skipped past Ahmed Mohamed’s challenge on the edge of the area and shot low across Abbas into the bottom left hand corner just out of the reach of the goalkeeper’s despairing dive.

Abbas saved a low strike from substitute Imamighareh to keep his side in the contest before Yeganeh blazed the follow up through a crowd and over the crossbar eight minutes later as Iran pressed for a second.

Defender Rashid Mohamed took his turn to keep UAE within touching distance four minutes later as he turned Sadeghian’s shot off the line after Abbas had flapped at a lofted cross and only managed to turn it into the striker’s path inside the area.

But the second came with 13 minutes remaining as Imamighareh rifled home from just outside the area past a helpless Abbas.

Abdulla was dismissed in the last minute after picking up a second yellow card and after Heydari tapped home the third in stoppage time, Hussain quickly followed as he was shown a straight red card.