Dubai: The Iran war’s shaky ceasefire came under further strain 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.
The violence jeopardised the fragile truce between Iran and the US while the two sides considered a deal to end the fighting.
On Thursday, Tehran said it was examining the latest US proposals for ending the war.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the Islamic Republic was reviewing messages from Pakistan, which is mediating peace negotiations, but Iran “has not yet reached a conclusion, and no response has been given to the US side,” Iranian state TV reported.
The Trump administration has sent mixed messages on its strategy to end the war. The ceasefire and previous declarations that military operations were over have given way to new threats of bombing if Tehran does not accept a deal that allows for the resumption of oil and natural gas shipments disrupted by the conflict.
Trump reiterated those threats after Thursday’s exchange of fire involving the US Navy.
“They have to understand: If it doesn’t get signed, they’re going to have a lot of pain,” he told reporters in Washington.
Asked how close the US was to a deal with Iran, Trump said: “It could happen any day,” but quickly added, “And it might not happen.”
The ceasefire between the US and Iran has largely held since April 8. In-person talks between the two countries, hosted by Pakistan last month, failed to reach an agreement to end the war that began Feb. 28 when the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran.
US military says it’s not seeking escalation
The UAE’s defence ministry advised residents not to approach, photograph or touch “any debris or fragments that have fallen as a result of successful air interceptions.”
Hours earlier, the US military said it had intercepted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz Thursday night and “targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking US forces.”
US Central Command said in a social media post that US forces intercepted “unprovoked Iranian attacks” and responded with self-defence strikes.
The US military said no ships were hit. It said it doesn’t seek escalation but “remains positioned and ready to protect American forces.”
President Donald Trump told reporters that the ceasefire was holding despite the violence.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke by phone Thursday with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said.
“We expect an agreement sooner rather than later,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said. “We hope the parties will reach a peaceful and sustainable solution that will contribute not only to peace in our region but to international peace as well.”
He declined to give a timeline.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking in televised remarks, said Islamabad remained in “continuous contact with Iran and the United States, day and night, to stop the war and extend the ceasefire.”
Meanwhile, direct talks between Israel and Lebanon were scheduled to resume next week in Washington, according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans for the closed-door meetings. The official said talks will be held on May 14 and 15.
Iran creates an agency to control passage at Hormuz
Earlier on Thursday, a shipping data company reported that Iran has 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. Still, hope that the two-month conflict could soon be over buoyed international markets.
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 Thursday. Lloyd’s said the authority had emailed it an application form for ships seeking passage.
Iran has effectively closed the Strait, a vital waterway for the shipment of oil, gas, fertiliser, and other petroleum products, while the US is blockading Iranian ports. The disruptions have sent fuel prices skyrocketing and rattled the global economy.
The new Iranian agency formalises a system Iran has used to let ships through the strait and charge tolls during the war. Iran aims to control which ships pass and, for at least some vessels, impose a tax on their cargo.
Maritime law experts say Iran’s demands to vet or tax vessels violate international law. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea calls for countries to permit peaceful passage through their territorial waters.
The US and its Gulf allies are pushing for the UN Security Council to support a resolution that condemns Iran’s chokehold on the strait and threatens sanctions. A prior resolution calling for reopening the strait was vetoed by Iran’s allies, Russia and China.
AP
