US Iran War News Live Updates: UAE cuts trade with Iran hours after Trump call; US role unclear
The Iran war continues to evolve amid a growing standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, with Washington and Tehran offering sharply different accounts of the waterway’s status and the prospects for negotiations.
US President Donald Trump has said the United States has no talks planned with Iran, while maintaining that the Strait of Hormuz remains “open and operating”. At the same time, his administration continues to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports. Trump has also asserted that US forces have removed mines from the waterway and that other vessels are free to pass.
The situation has placed Oman in an increasingly difficult position. Muscat has been negotiating with Tehran over mechanisms to manage shipping through the strait, but US officials have reportedly objected to parts of the emerging arrangement. Regional officials have also said Trump threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of US objectives. Oman has so far continued its diplomatic efforts, while maintaining that negotiations with Iran are taking place in a positive and constructive atmosphere.
Iran, for its part, has rejected Trump’s claims of control over the strait. Iranian officials have said the waterway will not fully reopen until Washington meets Tehran’s conditions. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi mocked Trump’s depiction of the strait as US territory, while Supreme National Security Council chief Mohsen Rezaei said Washington’s claim of control was far removed from reality.
The crisis is having a direct impact on maritime traffic. Kpler data showed confirmed crossings through the Strait of Hormuz declined significantly, while a projectile damaged the engine room of a vessel near Oman and caused a crew casualty, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre.
The conflict is also spreading across the region. Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed a drone attack on a Saudi Aramco oil facility, while the UAE reported two ballistic missiles launched from Iran towards its territory. Tehran subsequently denied launching missiles at the UAE.
Egypt has said an Iran-Oman agreement could eventually help create conditions for Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations on a comprehensive settlement.
Stay with this live blog for breaking developments, diplomatic moves, attacks, Strait of Hormuz updates, shipping disruptions and the latest statements from Washington, Tehran and regional capitals.