Tensions in the Gulf intensified sharply on Monday as the United Arab Emirates accused Iran of launching missile and drone attacks, raising fears that a tenuous ceasefire with the United States could collapse.
The UAE’s Defence Ministry said in a statement that “our air defenses are currently dealing with missile attacks and incoming drones from Iran,” adding that “the sounds heard in various parts of the country are the result of the UAE air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.”
It further disclosed that “our defense systems engaged 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones,” noting that the attacks resulted in “three moderate injuries.”
In a separate statement, the UAE’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said the injured were foreign nationals, stating that “the three injured people are Indian nationals,” while condemning “in the strongest terms the renewed terrorist, unprovoked Iranian attacks targeting civilian sites and facilities in the country using missiles and drones.”
The escalation has placed renewed strain on an already fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, which began on April 8. The crisis deepened as U.S. forces reported direct confrontations with Iranian assets in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
According to U.S. Central Command, “American forces eliminated six small Iranian boats that were attempting to interfere with commercial shipping movements,” a claim denied by Iranian state media, which insisted that no such vessels had been destroyed.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, former U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Tehran, saying Iran would be “blown off the face of the earth” if it targets U.S. ships protecting commercial vessels in the strait.
Trump also alleged that “a South Korean cargo ship had come under fire from Iran in the waterway,” adding in a Truth Social post, “perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission!”
Despite the rising hostilities, Trump stopped short of declaring the ceasefire officially broken, with reports indicating he avoided confirming whether the agreement had been violated.
The confrontation came less than 24 hours after Trump announced “Project Freedom,” describing it as an effort “to free ships that have been stranded as a result of Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.”
Meanwhile, a social media account linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps appeared to acknowledge the strikes, posting footage it claimed showed “drone and missile attacks carried out by the IRGC Cyber Corps,” including what it described as “the aftermath of a drone attack on UAE’s Port of Fujairah” and “a ship on fire following a missile strike.”
Authorities in key UAE cities, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, issued emergency alerts warning residents that “due to the current situation, potential missile threats, immediately seek a safe place in the closest secure building.”
The UAE later announced it would restrict its airspace for one week, disrupting commercial aviation, as global markets reacted nervously. Stock indices fell sharply while oil prices surged amid fears that the conflict could further destabilise the global economy.
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