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UAE cuts ties; Iran warns
Iran warned Gulf states against helping the United States military, hours after the United Arab Emirates announced it was suspending economic ties with Tehran following renewed attacks on shipping in the Gulf.
“Any assistance or facilitation provided to the aggressor US military amounts to participation in the US military operation”
Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi told reporters that "Any assistance or facilitation provided to the aggressor US military amounts to participation in the US military operation," according to Mehr news agency.
The warning came as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz intensified, with the conflict between Iran and the United States starting on February 28 with US and Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran responding with missile and drone strikes across the region.
The UAE said on Tuesday that Iran had fired two ballistic missiles toward the country, later clarifying that the missiles were directed at shipping, and Afra Al Hameli said "all trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran have been halted until further notice" due to the regional escalation.
Abdollahi’s logic and denials
Abdollahi argued that Gulf states could not claim ignorance of US military activity on their territory, saying "It seems unlikely that such a large number of military aircraft, particularly refuelling aircraft, could be present at regional bases without knowledge of host countries."
The Express Tribune reported that Abdollahi’s warning followed Abu Dhabi’s announcement that Iran fired two ballistic missiles toward the UAE, with one falling into the sea and the other landing within UAE territorial waters.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei rejected the UAE’s claim, with the Daily Star saying he "categorically rejected the UAE’s claim" about the missile launches.
While Jared Kushner said on Monday that the US and Iran were having "very positive and active conversations," Trump denied that was the case on Tuesday, writing "There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran" and posting that the Strait of Hormuz was a "NEW U.S. Territory."
Strait of Hormuz traffic risk
The warning and the UAE’s economic halt landed as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed, with the Express Tribune citing Kpler data that "Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday" and that the figure was down from nine a day earlier.
“Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday”
The Daily Star tied the uncertainty to oil prices, saying they ticked higher in early trade as investors weighed conflicting messages from Tehran and Washington on whether the strait is open to ships.
Iran’s position was that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the US implements commitments, with the Middle East Eye reporting that Iran’s secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei ridiculed Trump’s "NEW U.S. Territory" post.
In parallel, the Express Tribune reported that Iraqi parliament speaker Haibat al-Halbousi called for special status for Iraqi oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz during talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf in Baghdad on Wednesday.
