Threats, strikes test fragile Mideast truce

Tensions were reignited in the Middle East on Tuesday as the United States and Iran traded charges over the Strait of Hormuz and the United Arab Emirates came under Iranian missile and drone attacks, threatening a fragile ceasefire that has held for more than three weeks.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran's parliament, accused the US of undermining regional security and the security of global shipping and energy transit with its moves to end Iran's hold on the strait.

Ghalibaf warned that Tehran will respond to such provocations. "We know full well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America, and we have not even started yet," he said in a social media post.

The latest escalation came after the UAE reported Iranian attacks on Monday for the first time since the truce was declared on April 8. The close US ally confirmed it was targeted by 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones — all launched by Iran.

"These attacks constitute a dangerous escalation and unacceptable violation, posing direct threats to the UAE's security, territorial stability and civilian safety," the UAE's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

One Iranian missile hit an energy facility in the constituent emirate of Fujairah, leaving three Indian nationals injured, while a drone attack targeted a tanker operated by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, a state-owned oil giant, authorities said.

A senior Iranian military official did not deny the strikes, but emphasized that the Islamic republic had "no preplanned program to attack the oil facilities in question".

"US officials must end their ugly behavior of using force in a diplomatic process and stop military adventurism in this sensitive oil region, which affects economies around the world," the official was quoted as saying by Iranian state television.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused the UAE of backing and cooperating with the "aggressors" against Iran, saying that all regional countries have hopefully "learned the necessary lessons from the developments that occurred during these 50 days".

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded that Iran fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime corridor through which about one-fifth of global crude supplies were transported before US and Israeli forces launched strikes against Iran on Feb 28.

Iran has, however, vowed not to relinquish control of the strait, which is its core geopolitical leverage.

Trump claimed that US forces had "shot down" seven small Iranian military boats. A US admiral earlier said that six such vessels were destroyed, but Iran denied it all. Instead, it said a US naval frigate was hit, a claim that has been denied by the US military.

Authorities in South Korea confirmed on Monday that its cargo vessel HMM Namu suffered an engine room explosion and fire while navigating the strait, but said no crew members were injured.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that the ongoing events in the strait prove "there is no military solution to this political crisis", and he praised Pakistan's sustained mediation efforts.

"The US should be wary of being dragged back into a quagmire by ill-wishers. So should the UAE. Project Freedom is Project Deadlock," he wrote on social media, referring to the plan announced by Trump to "guide" stranded ships from "neutral countries" out of the Persian Gulf.

Saudi Arabia joined calls for de-escalation of the Middle East situation on Tuesday, urging diplomatic means to reach a settlement. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Tehran to return to the negotiating table and stop weaponizing regional energy transit, echoing appeals from French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Oil prices retreated slightly on Tuesday after surging on Monday. Brent crude, the international standard, fell $1.14 to $113.30 per barrel. Before the Iran war began in late February, it was trading near $70.

The Strait of Hormuz is a thoroughfare for global supplies of not just oil, but also fertilizers and other commodities. As it has remained virtually closed since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, global prices have continued to rally.