UAE Says Iran Has Resumed Attacks As The U.S. Moves To Reopen The Strait Of Hormuz

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military says it clashed with Iranian forces and sank six small boats as it moved to reopen the port. Strait of Hormuz On Monday. The United Arab Emirates, one of America’s important allies, said that it was attacked by Iran for the first time since then. a fragile truce It was captured at the beginning of April.

It turned out that the attacks were a reaction to the US President Donald Trump’s Latest efforts to reopen the strait, a critical waterway for global energy. The US military said two American-flagged commercial ships successfully passed through the strait on Monday as part of a new initiative.

The UAE Ministry of Defense said Iran launched four cruise missiles, three of which were shot down and one crashed into the sea. Authorities in the Eastern Emirate of Fujairah said an Iranian drone started a fire at a major oil facility, injuring three Indian citizens. The British army reported that two cargo ships caught fire off the coast of the UAE.

Breaking Iran’s control of the strait would ease global economic concerns and prevent Tehran from becoming a major source of influence. But such efforts also risk reigniting the large-scale conflict that erupted when the United States and Israel first attacked Iran on February 28, prompting Iran to close the strait.

Reports of new attacks have raised doubts about whether shipping companies and insurance companies will take such a risk as Iran has opened fire on ships in the waterway and vowed to continue doing so. Iran said the new US effort was a violation of a fragile ceasefire that has been in place for more than three weeks.

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

US Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper told reporters that American forces had successfully opened a passage in the strait free of Iranian mines. He said Iran had launched numerous cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and small boats at civilian ships under the protection of the US military.

US military helicopters sank six of the small boats, Cooper said, adding that “every single threat” had been defeated.

“U.S. commanders on the scene have all the authority necessary to defend their units and commercial shipping, as we have seen and demonstrated earlier today,” Cooper said.

Trump warned on Sunday that Iran’s efforts to stop passage through the strait would “unfortunately have to be dealt with forcefully.”

He described “Project Freedom,” designed to help, in humanitarian terms. stranded sailors On hundreds of ships stranded in the Persian Gulf since the war began.

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

The UAE condemned what it called “renewed treacherous Iranian aggression” and called for an immediate halt to the attacks.

Four missile warnings were issued on Monday, urging UAE residents to seek shelter; The first such warnings since the ceasefire began nearly a month ago. Commercial planes headed to the UAE, home to global travel hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, circled in the air.

The scope of the attack on Fujairah was unclear, but it was the terminus of a pipeline the UAE is using to avoid moving some of its oil through the strait. The emirate, on the Gulf of Oman, hosts extensive oil storage facilities and provides the UAE’s main maritime access outside the strait.

“These attacks represent a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable violation,” the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement about X.

The Iranian military command warned 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.”

The South Korean government said an explosion and fire broke out on a South Korean-operated ship anchored in the UAE strait. No injuries were reported. It is not yet known whether the ship is one of the burning ships reported by the British military’s UK Merchant Marine Operations centre.

Trump said in his social media post that Iran “fired some fire” at the South Korean cargo ship, but did not provide details.

The UAE 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.

The closure of the waterway has caused trouble for 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.

Meanwhile, 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 deprived Tehran of the oil revenue it needed 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.

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 claimed that its offer did not include issues related to its nuclear program. enriched uranium – the driving force of the tensions with the USA and Israel for a long time.

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.

Finley reported from Washington. Metz reported from the West Bank city of Ramallah. Associated Press journalists Jon Gambrell in Dubai, Fatma Khaled in Cairo, Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania; Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel; Tong-hyung Kim in Seoul, South Korea; and Russ Bynum contributed from Savannah, Georgia.