The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday it was dealing with a new round of missile and drone attacks from Iran, testing a Middle East ceasefire that Trump officials described as intact despite new aggression in the region.
“The Ministry of Defense confirms that the sounds heard in scattered areas of the country are the result of the UAE’s air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones,” the government said on X.
It is the second day of attacks on the Emiratis after the U.S. launched Project Freedom, a mission to guide through the Strait of Hormuz neutral commercial vessels that have been trapped by Iran’s blockade of the choke point.
The UAE fended off over a dozen missile and drone attacks on Monday, and an oil facility caught fire from an attack. The Emiratis said the strikes originated in Iran.
The strikes are testing the pause in fighting between the U.S. and Iran that began in early April.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday the ceasefire is intact despite the attacks and an exchange of fire between U.S. and Iran forces Monday that resulted in the sinking of at least six Iranian boats that had been harassing commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The ceasefire is not over,” Mr. Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon.
Standing alongside Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mr. Hegseth said the Iranian attacks have so far remained “below the threshold” necessary to declare the ceasefire void.
Tehran is using strikes on U.S. allies in the Gulf region to dial up the heat on the American side while peace talks creep along.
Mr. Trump says Iran has not met his terms for preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Yet so far, he has not renewed strikes on Iran’s territory.
The president, speaking in the Oval Office, said U.S. forces are “doing very well” against Iran.
“We’ve basically wiped out their military in about two weeks,” Mr. Trump said.
Iran is also using the Strait of Hormuz, which carries a fifth of the world’s oil, as leverage in peace talks in its war with the U.S. and Israel.
Mr. Trump late Sunday ordered the Navy to escort ships through the strait.
Despite renewed fighting, the Maersk shipping giant said one of its ships successfully transited the strait on Monday, suggesting the operation has been successful in some areas.
• Mike Glenn contributed to this story.
