Meanwhile, a shipping data company reported that Iran had created a government agency to vet and tax vessels seeking passage through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
The shaky ceasefire in the Iran war was further strained on Friday as the United Arab Emirates responded to a missile and drone attack hours after the US said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and retaliated against Iranian military facilities.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
"UAE air defences are currently engaging missile and drone attacks originating from Iran," the defence ministry said in a post on X, adding that interception sounds were heard "across various parts of the country."
There were no immediate reports of damage but the defence ministry advised residents not to approach, photograph or touch “any debris or fragments that have fallen as a result of successful air interceptions.”
Iran and the US are trading blows as their negotiators are seeking a deal to end the fighting, but so far they’ve avoided a return to all-out fighting. It's not clear how close the two sides are to deal on issues like Iran's nuclear programme, which the US and Israel vowed to halt when they launched the war on 28 February.
On Thursday, Tehran said it was examining the latest US proposals for ending the war delivered via Pakistan, which is serving as a mediator.
Trump played down the exchange of fire between Iran and the US Navy, saying in a phone call with a reporter for ABC, that the strikes against Iran were “just a love tap.”
He insisted the ceasefire is holding and a deal could come “any day,” but reiterated threates of bombing if Tehran does not accept a deal that allows for resumption of oil and natural gas shipments disrupted by the conflict.
“They have to understand: If it doesn’t get signed, they’re going to have a lot of pain,” he told reporters in Washington.
Iranian state media said the country’s forces exchanged fire with “the enemy” on Qeshm Island in Strait of Hormuz. It also reported loud noises and continuous defensive fire in western Tehran late Thursday night.
The ceasefire between the US and Iran has largely held since 8 April. In-person talks between the two countries, hosted by Pakistan last month, failed to reach an agreement to end the war.
Iran creates agency to control passage at Hormuz
Earlier on Thursday, a shipping data company reported that Iran had created a government agency to vet and tax vessels seeking passage through the crucial strait.
The Iranian effort to formalise control over the channel raised new concerns about international shipping, with hundreds of commercial vessels bottled up in the Persian Gulf and unable to reach the open sea.
The report by shipping data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence that Iran has established a new government agency to approve transit and collect tolls from shipping in the strait raised concerns over the freedom of navigation on which global trade depends.
The agency, called the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, is “positioning itself as the only valid authority to grant permission to ships transiting the strait,” Lloyd’s reported in an online briefing.
On Friday, an oil tanker that passed through the Strait of Hormuz in mid-April arrived off South Korea’s coast for its 1 million barrels of crude to be unloaded at the HD Hyundai Oilbank refinery.
South Korea, which last year imported more than 60% of its crude through the strait, has capped prices of gasoline and other petroleum products as the war raises fears of an energy crisis.
Iran has effectively closed the strait, a vital waterway for the shipment of oil, gas and fertiliser, while the US is blockading Iranian ports. The disruptions have sent fuel prices skyrocketing and rattled the global economy.