The U.S. military’s move to forcibly reopen the Strait of Hormuz escalated tensions with Iran on Monday, drawing a direct strike on the United Arab Emirates for the first time since a fragile ceasefire paused the war nearly a month ago. The U.S. said it had opened a mine-free lane through the strait under the protection of its warships and helicopters, while Iran accused Washington of violating the truce and warned it would target any foreign military vessel approaching the waterway. The attack on the UAE — which has served as a key staging hub for the U.S.-led campaign — threatens to broaden a conflict that has already disrupted global energy markets and sent fuel prices soaring.
U.S. Reopens Strait Lane, Iran Fires Back
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, said American forces had cleared a passage through the strait, free of Iranian mines, and then defended it against cruise missiles, drones and small boat attacks. U.S. helicopters sank six of the boats, he said, adding that “every threat” had been defeated.
“The U.S. commanders who are on the scene have all the authority necessary to defend their unit and to defend commercial shipping — as we saw and demonstrated earlier today,” Cooper said.
President Donald Trump had warned on Sunday that Iranian efforts to halt passage through the strait “will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.” He described the effort, dubbed “Project Freedom,” as humanitarian, aimed at aiding stranded seafarers on hundreds of ships stuck in the Persian Gulf since the war began.
Iran’s effective closure of the strait — which runs between Iran and Oman — has caused a spike in worldwide fuel prices and hammered the global economy. The U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center on Monday advised ships to cross in Oman’s waters under an “enhanced security area.”
UAE Struck for First Time Since Ceasefire
The UAE Defense Ministry said its air defenses engaged 15 missiles and four drones fired by Iran. One drone started a fire at a key oil facility in the eastern emirate of Fujairah, wounding three Indian nationals, authorities there said. The British military reported two cargo vessels ablaze off the UAE.
The UAE condemned what it called “renewed treacherous Iranian aggression” and called for an immediate halt to the attacks. Four missile alerts were issued Monday urging residents to seek shelter — the first such alerts since the ceasefire began nearly a month ago. Commercial planes bound for the UAE turned around midair.
The extent of the damage at Fujairah was unclear, but the emirate is the terminus of a pipeline the UAE has used to bypass the strait and serves as the country’s main sea access outside it. Oman also reported that a residential building near the strait “was targeted,” wounding two foreign workers and damaging vehicles and nearby windows.
Tehran’s Ambiguous Response
Iran did not outright confirm or deny the attacks. Early Tuesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that both the U.S. and the UAE “should be wary of being dragged back into quagmire.” Earlier, state television quoted an anonymous military official as saying Tehran had “no plan” to target the UAE or one of its oil fields.
“The incident resulted from U.S. military adventurism to create an illegal passage,” the official said, referring to the U.S. push to reopen the strait.
Iran’s military command separately warned that ships must coordinate with them before passage. Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi told state broadcaster IRIB: “We warn that any foreign military force — especially the aggressive U.S. military — that intends to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted.”
Separately, an explosion and fire struck a Panama-flagged vessel operated by South Korean shipping company HMM near the strait on Monday evening, affecting its left‑side engine. None of the 24 crewmembers were hurt, South Korean officials said. Trump said in a social media post that Iran had “taken some shots” at vessels including a South Korean cargo ship, without elaborating.
Negotiations Stalled
Iran’s latest ceasefire proposal, carried by the semiofficial Nour News and Tasnim agencies, calls for the U.S. to lift sanctions, end its blockade on Iranian ports, withdraw forces from the region and cease all hostilities — including Israel’s operations in Lebanon — within 30 days. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Monday that changing demands made diplomacy difficult.
Iran has said its proposal does not include issues related to its nuclear program and enriched uranium, long a driver of tensions. Trump expressed doubt over the weekend that the proposal would lead to a deal.
The U.S. has enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports since April 13, turning back at least 49 commercial ships, according to Central Command. The blockade aims to pressure Iran to make concessions in talks on its disputed nuclear program and other issues. The UAE, meanwhile, accused Iran of targeting a tanker linked to its main oil company with two drones as it navigated the strait — an attack for which no injuries were reported.