The United Arab Emirates announced that its defense ministry detected the launch of two ballistic missiles from Iran on Tuesday, marking the first such incident since the May 4 attack on Fujairah port. Both missiles reportedly landed in the sea after being aimed at maritime traffic, the UAE’s own assessments.
In response to this missile threat, the UAE declared the suspension of all trade activities, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran until further notice. Abu Dhabi stated that this decision was driven by escalating actions it views as threats to regional and international peace and security.
Meanwhile, Iran rejected the allegations. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei dismissed the UAE’s claims as unfounded early Wednesday, denying any involvement in the missile launches.
This development follows the expiration of a 60-day period for U.S.-Iranian peace negotiations on Monday, which ended without progress. The failure to reach an agreement has heightened concerns over further escalation in the ongoing conflict that has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since February.
The UAE defense ministry emphasized its readiness to address any threats and firmly counter any attempts to destabilize national security. Earlier on Tuesday, the UAE’s interior ministry issued a phone alert to residents assuring them that the situation was safe and normal activities could resume after an initial missile threat warning.
Notably, the UAE had recently accused Iran of attacking its state-owned ADNOC vessels while they were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has not claimed responsibility for these attacks. However, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have previously warned they would take action against vessels linked to Tehran’s adversaries or those that do not comply with Iranian directives while passing through the strait.
