The Wall Street Journal
Attacks Strike U.A.E., Ships as Fighting Escalates in Mideast
Fighting in the Iran war flared, as strikes on a U.A.E. oil port and several ships amid Iranian threats tested a shaky cease-fire.
Fighting in the Iran war flared, as strikes on a crucial United Arab Emirates oil port and several ships amid Iranian threats tested a shaky cease-fire.
The U.A.E., which has backed tougher action against Iran, sounded alerts for the first time since early April, saying it was targeted by four missiles and a number of drones. It confirmed a drone hit sparked a fire at the crucial oil hub of Fujairah, which the country has used to pump much of its petroleum output around Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. military forces including warships and aircraft actively protected several commercial vessels from Iranian attacks, a senior U.S. official said. Sailors reported witnessing a drone strike on a tanker and military jets buzzing overhead.
The skirmishing came hours after President Trump announced a new initiative to get ships through the strait.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps defied the initiative, saying ships going through without its permission face serious risks.
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates said Monday they dealt with four cruise missiles launched by Iran on Monday, in the first airstrikes targeting the Gulf states in weeks.
Three of the missiles were intercepted over the country's territorial waters, while the fourth fell into the sea, the ministry of defense said in a statement.
Investors are on edge today, sending oil prices sharply higher as military tensions flared in the Strait of Hormuz.
Several vessels were struck around the strait amid Iranian threats, while the U.S. sent in destroyers and fought off further attacks, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.