US-Iran war LIVE: UAE halts Iran trade after missiles detected, Tehran denies claim; Trump claims Hormuz as US territory

US-Iran war LIVE: NATO is prepared to address any threat and will always do what is necessary to defend all allies, a NATO official said on Wednesday in response to questions about a report in the Financial Times that Iran has allegedly weighed attacking U.S. military targets in Europe should Donald Trump escalate the war.

“As demonstrated earlier this year when NATO air defences successfully intercepted ballistic missiles heading to Turkiye from Iran on four separate occasions, our deterrence and defence posture is strong and effective,” the official said.

via Reuters

US-Iran war LIVE: U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday the U.S. has no talks planned with Iran but insisted the Strait of Hormuz remains “open and operating,” despite limited traffic and a reported strike on a ship exiting the waterway.

Earlier this week, Trump also threatened to bomb Oman as the country sought a deal with Iran to manage shipping traffic through the strait, two regional officials said Tuesday, a day after Trump reportedly leveled the threat if Oman “gets in the way.” Iran says the waterway will not be reopened until the U.S. meets its conditions.

As talks between Iran and Oman continue, a projectile hit a ship in the strait and Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed they fired drones at an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia.

via AP

US-Iran war LIVE: Iran’s armed forces warned Gulf countries against assisting the US military on Wednesday, hours after the United Arab Emirates announced it was severing economic ties with Tehran following new attacks on shipping.

The Gulf is dotted with US military installations, including in the UAE, which said on Tuesday that Iran had fired two ballistic missiles at vessels off its coast.

Despite a recent lull in hostilities between the United States and Iran, the Strait of Hormuz — which Tehran has blockaded and through which vessels departing most UAE ports must pass — remains a flashpoint, and attacks on commercial ships have continued.

A framework US-Iran deal aimed at reopening the vital trade corridor collapsed, and although both sides recently said messages were being exchanged, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday insisted talks were off, taunting Iran with a social media post depicting the strait as a “NEW U.S. Territory”.

Iranian armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi warned on Wednesday “that any assistance or facilitation provided to the aggressor US military amounts to participation in the US military operation”, according to the Mehr news agency.

via AFP

US-Iran war LIVE: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) remained on high alert on Wednesday after a missile threat triggered emergency alerts across the country, followed by an accusation from Abu Dhabi that Iran had launched two ballistic missiles towards the UAE.

The UAE Ministry of Defence subsequently said its air defence systems had detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran towards the country.

According to the ministry, one missile fell outside the UAE’s territorial waters while the second fell within them. A later assessment said the missiles appeared to have been targeting maritime traffic. Both missiles fell into the sea, the ministry said.

The ministry said UAE forces remained on high alert and were prepared to deal with any threat to the country’s security and sovereignty.

The incident was the first such attack reported by the UAE since May, when Iran carried out strikes on targets in the country.

However, Iran denied UAE’s allegations of carrying out a missile attack. Click here to read full report.

US-Iran war LIVE: The United Arab Emirates has announced a halt to all economic ties with Tehran after accusing Iran of launching ballistic missiles towards its territory, adding to tensions in the region.

The UAE, which has long been one of Iran’s key trading partners, said it would suspend trade and financial dealings with Tehran until further notice. The decision came in response to what it called “escalations that undermine regional and international peace and security,” according to a UAE statement.

A missile warning was issued in Dubai on Tuesday evening, with residents told to take shelter.

The defence ministry later said two projectiles aimed at maritime traffic fell into the sea, while only one entered UAE waters.

Iran denied carrying out the attack, which would mark the first strike on UAE territory since May.

US-Iran war LIVE: South Korean foreign minister Cho Hyun said on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back joint military drills may be partly intended to push Seoul into backing Washington’s efforts in the Iran war.

He said other unresolved matters, including investment, may also be linked to the move.

“I think President Trump’s message includes pressure over several pending issues concerning the South Korean government, as well as a message to North Korea and an intention by the United States to break a stalemate in the Iran war,” Cho said.

US-Iran war LIVE: Iran’s armed forces on Wednesday warned Gulf countries against providing support to the US military, saying such assistance would amount to taking part in American military operations.

“We wish to warn that any assistance or facilitation provided to the aggressor US military amounts to participation in the US military operation,” armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi said, according to Iran’s Mehr news agency.

“It seems unlikely that such a large number of military aircraft, particularly refuelling aircraft could be present at regional bases without knowledge of host countries,” said Abdollahi.

“The countries bordering the Persian Gulf, which have issued various statements saying they would not allow the United States to use their territory against Iran, should know that we are fully aware of the situation.”

US-Iran war LIVE: Iran’s armed forces on Wednesday warned Gulf countries against providing assistance to the US military, saying any such support would amount to taking part in American military operations.

“We wish to warn that any assistance or facilitation provided to the aggressor US military amounts to participation in the US military operation,” armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi said, according to Iran’s Mehr news agency.

US-Iran war LIVE: As the US-Iran conflict drags on, the Pentagon is assessing its military presence in West Asia as part of efforts to reduce its footprint in the region, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing eight officials familiar with the matter.

The report said the assessment is not yet a formal review. It will also consider whether US military bases damaged in strikes should be rebuilt.

According to the report, the damage to the facilities has given the Pentagon a rare opportunity to rethink its military presence in the region. The department of war has already indicated that it may not restore the bases to their pre-conflict condition.

US-Iran war LIVE: Egypt’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that the agreement between Iran and Oman could help Washington and Tehran “return to negotiations” and work towards a “comprehensive and permanent deal that addresses all concerns and enhances regional security and stability.”

The ministry issued the statement following a meeting between Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty and Omani foreign minister Badr al-Busaidi. However, it made no mention of Trump’s latest threat against Oman.

The 60-day negotiating period between the US and Iran ended this week, with no clear indication that the war is close to ending.

US-Iran war LIVE: Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected early on Wednesday a statement by the UAE that said Iran was behind missiles launched against the Gulf country a day earlier.

He said in a statement the UAE’s “accusations” were “baseless.”

US-Iran war LIVE: US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman over its efforts to reach an agreement with Iran on managing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, two regional officials told Associated Press on Tuesday, a day after the threat was made.

According to the report, the Trump administration has told Oman that it objects to certain provisions of the deal, which has not yet been announced. These include a proposal for Iran and Oman to jointly oversee the route used by ships leaving the strategically important passage, which is vital to global oil and natural gas supplies.

The US believes Oman has taken a softer approach in its negotiations with Iran and has raised objections to Oman’s agreement to collect voluntary fees from vessels. The officials said Washington remains opposed even when the charges are linked to maritime security and environmental protection, the report said.

US-Iran war LIVE:Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed, data showed on Wednesday, as most shipowners avoided the key waterway because of a lack of clear signalling on its reopening from a blockade during the Iran war.

Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, Kpler data showed by 0258 GMT, down from nine a day earlier and below the 10-day daily average of 11.

(Reuters)

US-Iran war LIVE: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Washington was not engaged in any talks with Iran and that no discussions had been planned.

The statement came a day after Trump’s envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, said the US and Iran were having “very positive and active conversations”. Trump rejected that claim.

“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.

US-Iran war LIVE: Oil prices rose for a fourth straight session, with Brent crude futures gaining 26 cents, or 0.29 per cent, to $91.28 a barrel at 00:04 GMT (05:34 AM IST).

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures also moved higher, adding 37 cents to reach $85.31 a barrel.

Growing doubts over a possible peace deal between the US and Iran have increased concerns about disruptions to oil supplies.

US-Iran war LIVE: As US President Donald Trump continued to claim control over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran responded to an AI-generated image he shared, depicting the strategic waterway as “NEW US Territory”.

Tehran warned that the US President’s claims would be “corrected” while describing them as delusions.

Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi shared the image in a post on X on Tuesday and called Trump a “deluded man”.

“Just as Trump correctly wrote the name of the eternal Persian Gulf, soon his delusion regarding the Strait of Hormuz will either be corrected or we will correct the delusions of this deluded man,” Gharibabadi said in a post on X.

US-Iran war LIVE: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday shared a map that depicted the Strait of Hormuz as part of new American territory, taking another swipe at Tehran.

Notably, Trump has continued to push his threat to take control of the key energy route as the Iran war, now nearing six months, continues with no clear end in sight.

US-Iran war LIVE: Iran chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf slammed senior US officials over Washington’s approach to talks with Tehran, claiming that the US believes stronger economic or military pressure would push Iran to agree to concessions beyond the current deal.

In a post on X, Ghalibaf targeted US treasury secretary Scott Bessent and US secretary of war Pete Hegseth, saying both were “way out of their league” in trying to pressure the Islamic Republic through economic and military means.

He said such measures would not persuade Tehran to accept any further concessions.

US-Iran war LIVE: US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman over its efforts to reach an agreement with Iran on managing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, two regional officials told Associated Press on Tuesday, a day after the threat was made.

According to the report, the Trump administration has told Oman that it objects to certain provisions of the deal, which has not yet been announced. These include a proposal for Iran and Oman to jointly oversee the route used by ships leaving the strategically important passage, which is vital to global oil and natural gas supplies.

The officials were reportedly briefed on the US administration’s position and its concerns over Oman’s stance.

US-Iran war LIVE: Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected the UAE’s claim early on Wednesday that Tehran was responsible for the missile launches reported a day earlier.

In a statement, he said the UAE’s “accusations” were “baseless”.

Baghaei “categorically rejected the United Arab Emirates’ claim that Iran had launched a missile toward that country”, calling it harmful to regional trust and security efforts.

US-Iran war LIVE: The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday that it had suspended all trade and financial dealings with Iran after accusing Tehran of launching two ballistic missiles towards shipping in the Gulf.

On Monday, the UAE’s defence ministry issued a warning over a missile threat to its territory for the first time in months.

“UAE air defenses detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward the country, with the first falling outside the country’s territorial waters, while the second fell within the territorial waters,” the ministry said, in a statement posted to social media.