UAE Emirate Says Iranian Drone Sparked Fire At Oil Facility

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Fujairah, the eastern emirate of the United Arab Emirates, said an Iranian drone caused a fire at an oil facility.

Fujairah is the terminus of the pipeline that the UAE used in the Iran war to avoid transporting some of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

The UAE on Monday issued its first three missile alerts since the ceasefire came into effect.

Two American-flagged merchant ships have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, the US military said on Monday, as it launched a new initiative to revive traffic. Iran has effectively controlled the critical waterway since the United States and Israel launched the war in late February.

Breaking Iran’s control over the strait would ease global economic concerns and prevent Tehran from becoming a major source of influence in negotiations aimed at ending the war. However, US President Donald Trump’s latest effort also carries the risk of reigniting large-scale conflicts as the US and Iran increasingly increase pressure.

The United Arab Emirates issued its first three missile alerts since a ceasefire reached in early April and accused Iran of targeting an oil tanker. Meanwhile, the South Korean government said that there was an explosion and fire on a ship operated by South Korea anchored in the strait, but the cause was unknown.

In another sign of possible tensions, Iran claimed to have shot down a US Navy ship near the strait. The US denied the claim.

Iran’s de facto closure of the strait between Iran and Oman caused an increase in fuel prices worldwide and shook global markets.
economy. The US-led Joint Maritime Information Center advises ships to transit the strait through Omani waters, saying it has established an “enhanced security area”.

With Iran firing on ships in the waterway and vowing to continue doing so, it’s unclear whether shipping companies and their insurers will feel comfortable taking the risk. Iran said the new US effort was a violation of a fragile ceasefire that has been in place for more than three weeks.

Trump warned of a ‘strong’ response in case of Iranian intervention. The US military’s Central Command said that two American-flagged commercial ships “continued their journey safely” after passing the Strait of Hormuz. It was stated that the Navy’s guided missile destroyers in the Persian Gulf helped revive traffic.

In his statement about X, it was stated that US destroyers also passed through the strait. It was not stated when the naval ships arrived or when the merchant ships left.

Trump’s statement on Sunday that the United States would remove the ships from the strait warned that Iran’s efforts to block them “unfortunately must be dealt with forcefully.”

He described in humanitarian terms the “Freedom Project” designed to help sailors stranded on hundreds of ships stranded in the Persian Gulf since the beginning of the war. Crews told The Associated Press that early in the war they saw drones and missiles explode over the water as their ship ran low on drinking water, food and other supplies.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said the efforts were part of Trump’s “delirium.”

Iran is determined to control the strait Iran’s military command said on Monday that ships passing through the strait should work in coordination with them.

Major General Ali Abdollahi told state broadcaster IRIB: “We warn that any foreign military force planning to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted, especially the aggressive US military.”

Cutting off the waterway has squeezed countries in Europe and Asia that depend on Persian Gulf oil and gas, driving up prices far beyond the region.

The US has warned shipping companies that they may face sanctions for paying Iran for passage through the strait.

The Joint Maritime Information Center urged seafarers to cooperate closely with authorities in Oman “due to the expected high volume of traffic”. The report warned that “due to the presence of mines that have not been fully examined and mitigated, passing near the usual routes should be considered extremely dangerous.”

The security chief of the leading shipping trade group the Baltic and International Maritime Council said the industry had not been given official guidance or details about the US efforts. Jakob Larsen questioned whether the effort was sustainable and said it carried “the risk of a re-breakout of hostilities.”

The United Arab Emirates accused Iran of targeting a tanker affiliated with the main oil company sailing in the strait with two drones. It was not stated when the attack took place. No injuries were reported. ADNOC Logistics & Services, a subsidiary of the oil company, said in X that the ship was carrying no cargo when it was hit off the coast of Oman.

US military denies Iran shot down one of its ships Iranian news agencies, including the semi-official Fars and ILNA, reported on Monday that Iran attacked a US ship near an Iranian port in the southeast of the strait, accusing it of “violating maritime security and navigation norms”. Reports stated that the ship had to turn back.

U.S. Central Command said “no U.S. Navy ships were hit” at X.

The United States has maintained a naval blockade of Iranian ports since April 13, telling at least 49 merchant ships to return, according to Central Command.

The blockade has deprived Tehran of the oil revenue it needs to support its struggling economy. U.S. officials have expressed hope that the blockade will force Iran to make concessions in talks over its controversial nuclear program and other long-running issues.

Negotiations make little progress Iran’s latest proposal to end the war calls for the United States to lift sanctions, end the blockade, withdraw forces from the region and cease all hostilities, including Israeli operations in Lebanon, according to the semi-official Nour News and Tasnim news agencies, which have close ties to Iran’s security apparatus.

Although Iranian officials said they were reviewing the U.S. response, State Department spokesman Esmail Baghaei told reporters on Monday that changing demands were making diplomacy difficult. He did not give details.

Iran has claimed its offer does not include issues related to its nuclear program and enriched uranium – long a driver of tensions with the United States and Israel.

Iran wants other problems to be resolved within 30 days and aims to end the war rather than extending the ceasefire. Trump expressed doubts over the weekend that the offer would lead to a deal.