The month-old ceasefire between Iran and the United States appeared to be in new peril on Tuesday, with a fresh barrage of Iranian missiles reported to have targeted the United Arab Emirates. The strike was the second in 48 hours, coming shortly after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted the truce remained intact despite rising violence.
On Monday, the US military said it had destroyed six Iranian small boats, cruise missiles and drones after President Donald Trump sent warships to guide stranded tankers through the Strait of Hormuz in a campaign called 'Project Freedom'. Hegseth told a press conference the operation was temporary and the ceasefire was not over, stating: 'We're not looking for a fight… Right now the ceasefire certainly holds, but we're going to be watching very, very closely.'
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the US of breaching the ceasefire, posting on social media: 'We know well that the continuation of the current situation is unbearable for the United States, while we have not even begun yet.' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed 10 civilian sailors had died due to the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, describing ships and crews as 'held hostage, isolated, starving, vulnerable'.
The Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries a fifth of the world's oil and liquid gas, has been virtually shut since US and Israeli attacks on Iran began on 28 February. More than 800 ships and 20,000 crew remain stranded west of the waterway. Iran has threatened mines, drones and missiles, while the US has blockaded Iranian ports. Rubio said Tehran was trying to make the shutdown a 'new normal', adding: 'Under no circumstances can we ever allow them to normalise the fact that they get to blow up commercial ships and put mines in the water.'
The war, sparked by an Israeli strike that killed Iran's then supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reached a stalemate. Iran faces huge economic losses, while Trump is under domestic and international pressure as fuel prices surge. Both sides appear to believe they are close to victory and unwilling to make concessions in on-off negotiations mediated by Pakistan.
On Monday, several merchant ships in the Gulf reported explosions or fires, and the port of Fujairah in the UAE was hit by Iranian missiles. Hegseth claimed the US had secured a path through the strait, but only two US-flagged vessels have crossed so far. Iran denied any crossings and accused the US of targeting civilian vessels, killing five people. Trump, speaking at an Oval Office event, said Iran 'wants to make a deal' and described the conflict as a 'skirmish', adding: 'Iran has no chance. They never did. They know it.'
