UAE reports intercepting missiles, drones from Iran for first time since ceasefire
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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on May 4 that its air defenses had engaged missiles and drones launched from Iran, marking the first such case since a ceasefire brokered last month.
A fire broke out at an oil facility in the Fujairah emirate after it was hit by a drone launched from Iran, local authorities said.
The reported attacks mark a major escalation since the truce brokered between the U.S. and Iran on April 8, which paused a conflict that has driven a global energy price surge and impacted much of the region.
"Four cruise missiles launched from Iran were detected toward various areas across the country," the Gulf country's Defense Ministry said.
"Three were successfully engaged over the country's territorial waters, while one fell in the sea."
The news came after the U.S. said it would escort commercial ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime corridor carrying about one-fifth of global oil trade.
The strait has remained at the center of regional tensions since Tehran declared its closure after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28, prompting Washington to impose a naval blockade targeting Iranian ports.
Iranian officials have previously warned that U.S. plans to escort ships through the strait would constitute a violation of the ceasefire.
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