US crude futures rose as much as 3% in early trading on Friday after renewed hostilities broke out between the US and Iran.

West Texas Intermediate oil prices initially gained more than 3% and were trading up 2.50% or $2.37, at $97.18 a barrel, as of 2215 GMT.

"We'll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently, in the future, if they don't get their Deal signed, FAST!", US President Donald Trump said as the US military carried out strikes on Iranian military targets Thursday.

Lebanon's health ministry reported at least 12 people killed, including two children and a paramedic, in a series of Israeli airstrikes carried out on Thursday in spite of a ceasefire.

In separate statements, the ministry reported 11 people killed, two of them children, in strikes on three different villages in Nabatieh district. Another strike in Marajayoun district killed one paramedic from a Hezbollah-affilitated rescue service and wounded another, the ministry said.

Iran's central military command accused the United States of violating the ceasefire in the Middle East war with attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, saying they attacked US forces in retaliation.

The US "targeted an Iranian oil tanker moving from the coastal waters of Iran in the Jask region towards the Strait of Hormuz, as well as another ship entering the Strait of Hormuz opposite the port of Fujairah, UAE", the Khatam Al Anbiya said in a statement quoted by state TV, accusing the US of also carrying out strikes elsewhere in the south "in cooperation with some countries in the region". 

The US military said Thursday that it intercepted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and "targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking US forces."

The exchange occurred as US Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command said in a social media post. US forces intercepted "unprovoked Iranian attacks" and responded with self-defense strikes, it said.

Iranian state TV reported explosions on an island in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, saying they occurred during an "exchange of fire".

"The explosions at the Bahman pier on Qeshm Island occurred during an exchange of fire between Iranian armed forces and the enemy," the broadcaster IRIB reported.

Other Iranian news outlets also reported the blasts, while the Israeli military told AFP it was "not aware of such" a strike.

Mojtaba Khamenei, wounded in strikes on the first day of the Middle East war, has released only written statements since his appointment.

Iran has created a government agency to vet and tax vessels seeking passage through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, a shipping data company reported Thursday, as Tehran said it was reviewing the latest U.S. proposals for ending the war.

The Iranian effort to formalise control over the channel raised new concerns about international shipping, with hundreds of commercial ships bottled up in the Persian Gulf and unable to reach the open sea. Still, hope that the two-month conflict could soon be over buoyed international markets.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed Middle East peace efforts at the Vatican with Pope Leo XIV, whose opposition to the Iran war has led to open sparring with President Donald Trump.

(AP)

The United States sanctioned on Thursday Iraq's deputy oil minister and militias over support for Iran, the Treasury Department said.

The Treasury Department accused Iraq's minister Ali Maarij Al-Bahadly of abusing "his position to facilitate the diversion of oil to be sold for the benefit of the Iranian regime and its proxy militias in Iraq." 

The department is also sanctioning three senior leaders of Iran-aligned militias Kata’ib Sayyid Al-Shuhada and Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq, it said.

(Reuters)

Around 1,500 ships trapped in Gulf due to Iran conflict: UN maritime agency

(AFP)

The United States was waiting on Thursday for Iran to respond to its latest proposed deal to end the war in the Middle East and to reopen the key shipping lane out of the Gulf.

Asian stocks soared and oil prices fell after US President Donald Trump said once again that an agreement could be near after positive talks, and Iran said it would pass on its latest position to mediator Pakistan.

Any agreement to prolong the ceasefire between the United States and Iran could also lower tensions in Lebanon, where an already fragile truce with Israel was under renewed strain after a strike on southern Beirut killed a Hezbollah commander.

(AFP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday claimed responsibility for the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut the previous day, saying "no terrorist is immune" from Israeli strikes.

"Last night, we eliminated, in the heart of Beirut, the commander of Hezbollah's Radwan force," Netanyahu said, in a video released by his office, referring to an elite Hezbollah unit. 

"I say to our enemies in the clearest possible terms: no terrorist is immune. Anyone who threatens the State of Israel will die because of his actions."

(AFP)

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio opened a fence-mending visit to the Vatican on Thursday after President Donald Trump’s broadsides against Pope Leo XIV and the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran angered the Holy See and sparked ongoing sparring between the two American leaders.

Rubio, a practicing Catholic, had an audience scheduled with Leo, which was complicated at the last minute by Trump’s latest criticism of the Chicago-born pope. Leo has pushed back, calling out Trump’s misrepresentations of his views on Iran and nuclear weapons and insisting that he is merely preaching the biblical message of peace.

Rubio was also due to meet with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who on the eve of his visit strongly defended Leo and criticized Trump’s attacks in understated diplomatic terms. “Attacking him like that or criticizing what he does seems a bit strange to me, to say the least,” Parolin said Wednesday.

(AP)

Oil sank again Thursday and Tokyo's Nikkei index led another strong rally across Asia stocks, fuelled by growing optimism the Iran war is close to ending and the revival of demand for all things AI.

Risk sentiment was surging on hopes Washington and Tehran will conclude the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed since the start of March, choking off a fifth of the world's crude.

Optimism got a huge boost Wednesday when US President Donald Trump said an agreement was near, a day after he paused efforts to help stranded ships through Hormuz, which drew Iranian attacks and threatened their fragile ceasefire.

If "Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to" the war would be over, Trump said. But if not, the bombing would resume "at a much higher level and intensity".

He later told reporters: "We've had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it's very possible that we'll make a deal."

US news outlet Axios cited two US officials as saying both sides were close to agreement on a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war, open the strait and set a framework for more detailed nuclear talks.

US President Donald Trump predicted a swift end to the war with Iran as Tehran considered a U.S. peace proposal that sources said would formally end the conflict while leaving unresolved key U.S. demands that Iran suspend its nuclear programme and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson cited by Iran's ISNA news agency said Tehran would convey its response, while Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei, a spokesperson for parliament's powerful foreign policy and national security committee, described the proposal as "more of an American wish-list than a reality."

"They want to make a deal. We've had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it's very possible that we'll make a deal," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, saying later "it'll be over quickly."

Trump has repeatedly played up the prospect of an agreement to end the war that started on February 28, so far without success. The two sides remain at odds over a variety of difficult issues, such as Iran's nuclear ambitions and its control of the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war handled one-fifth of the world's oil and gas supply.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday told reporters that the U.S. has had very good talks with Iran in the last 24 hours.

The memo calls on Iran to commit to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the US agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides lifting restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

 Trump says Iran deal 'very possible'
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a deal with Iran to end the Middle East war was "very possible" following "very good talks" over the past day.

US stocks break records, oil tumbles 
World oil prices dove Wednesday and US stock markets rallied on fresh hopes for an end to the war in the Middle East, as Trump said a deal with Iran was "very possible". 

Hezbollah commander killed 
A senior commander from Hezbollah's elite force was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Wednesday, a source close to the group said. 

Ship violating Iran port blockade disabled
A US Navy warplane fired on and disabled the rudder of an oil tanker that tried to break Washington's blockade of Iranian ports, the US military said on Wednesday. 
Iran reviewing US proposal
Iran foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said a US proposal to end the war is still "under review" by Tehran, local media reported.

 Israel vows to 'dismantle' Hezbollah' 
Israel's army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir vowed to dismantle Hezbollah and said the military was prepared to launch a new offensive against Iran if needed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (local time) ordered strikes in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, targeting a senior commander of the Hezbollah Radwan Force, in an operation carried out by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) despite the ongoing ceasefire framework in the region.

According to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office posted on X, the strike was conducted following approval from Netanyahu and Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, with the objective of eliminating the targeted commander.

A US fighter jet on Wednesday fired on an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman as it tried to breach the US blockade of Iran's ports, the U.S. military said.

The attack occurred as Iran and the US are officially in a ceasefire and as the two countries seemed to be approaching an agreement to end the war. US President Donald Trump threatened Iran with a new wave of bombing if a deal is not reached that includes opening the critical Strait of Hormuz.

Trump posted on social media Wednesday that the two-month war could soon end and that oil and natural gas shipments disrupted by the conflict could restart. But he said that depends on Iran accepting a reported agreement that the president did not detail.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday told reporters that the U.S. has had very good talks with Iran in the last 24 hours.

France's aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle was on Wednesday heading towards the southern Red Sea to pre‑position for a possible mission to restore navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the presidency and defence ministry said.

The move was intended to send "a signal that not only are we ready to secure the Strait of Hormuz but that we are also capable of doing so", one of the aides to President Emmanuel Macron told reporters.

Traffic in the strategic waterway, through which around one-fifth of the world's crude oil normally transits, has all but stopped since conflict erupted in the Middle East in late February.

(AFP)

Iran foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Wednesday that a US proposal to end the war is still "under review" by Tehran, local media reported.

"The US plan and proposal are still under review by Iran," Baqaei told ISNA news agency, adding Tehran will convey its views to key mediator Pakistan after "finalising its views".

US President Donald Trump said earlier Wednesday that he wanted the war to be "at an end", while vowing more intensive attacks on Iran if it did not agree to conditions.

(AFP)

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that their Operation Epic Fury will be ended and the blockade would allow the Strait of Hormuz to be open to all.

Trump further said that if Iran does not agree to the conditions for the ceasefire, the bombing would begin.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, "Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran. If they don't agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP"

In a sharply worded statement issued after UAE had accused Iran of drone and missile attacks in the country, Iran on Wednesday denounced the claims and urged the UAE to not collude with American and Israeli adversaries.

The statement of Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs were shared by the Embassy of Iran in India in a post on X.

The Ministry underscored Iran's commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter and the fundamental rules of international law, principle of good neighborliness in its relations with all countries in the region.

(ANI)

U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media Wednesday that the war with Iran could soon end and oil and natural gas shipments could restart, if Iran accepts a reported agreement that he did not detail.

“If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before,” Trump's post said.

The White House believes it is nearing an agreement with Iran on a one-page memorandum to end the war, according to reporting by Axios. It said provisions include a moratorium on Iranian uranium enrichment, a lifting of U.S. sanctions and the distribution of frozen Iranian funds and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz for ships.

Trump wrote that it was “perhaps a big assumption” that Iran would agree to the terms being offered by the United States.

(AP)

According to a report by Reuters, a preliminary assessment by the US Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis last month concluded that the Iran war "may have contributed to his decision to conduct the attack".

China on Wednesday called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz "as soon as possible" as it appreciated Tehran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, a prime demand of US President Donald Trump to end the war against the Islamic Republic.

"On the issue of the Strait, the international community shares a common concern over restoring normal and secure navigation through the Strait, and China hopes relevant parties will respond as soon as possible to the strong call from the international community," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi during their talks here.

Significantly, Wang appreciated Iran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons. Trump has been demanding Iran hand over stockpiles of enriched uranium and a 20-year commitment from Tehran not to develop nuclear weapons.

(PTI)

The White House believes it is getting close to an agreement with Iran on a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing two US officials and two other sources briefed on the issue.

The US expects Iranian responses on several key points in the next 48 hours, according to the report which cautioned that nothing has been agreed yet but said this was the closest the parties had been to an agreement since the war began.

Among other provisions, the deal would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the US agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides lifting restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz, Axios said.

French shipping company CMA CGM said one of its vessels had been targeted by an attack in the Strait of Hormuz.

"The CMA CGM San Antonio was the target of an attack yesterday while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in injuries among crew members and damage to the vessel," the shipping firm said in a statement, adding those injured had been evacuated for treatment.

Iran has refused to surrender control of the strait, using it as leverage in the conflict, which began with US-Israeli attacks in late February.

Israel's military issued a new evacuation warning for a dozen villages in southern Lebanon ahead of expected strikes, despite a truce with Lebanon intended to halt the fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah.

"For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move away from the villages and towns by at least 1,000 metres into open areas," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X, listing 12 villages.

Global oil inventories that can be tapped without disrupting supply chains could be exhausted within three weeks, raising the risk of 'operational stress' in markets by mid-June, a report has said.

The report from investment bank JP Morgan said that the global oil inventory stood at 8.4 billion barrels of oil in early 2026, but only a small portion is usable without pushing the system into strain in order to keep the circulation network working.

"Of the 8.4 billion barrels, we estimate only 0.8 billion are realistically available without pushing the system into operational stress," it said.

The investment bank said that approximately 280 million barrels have already been drawn down, leaving about 580 million barrels of usable inventories available, but it could be exhausted by early June.

Damien Chevallier, director of the Maritime Safety Division at the UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO), told CNN that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is unlike anything the industry has previously encountered.

"It is an unprecedented situation," Chevallier remarked. "We have around 20,000 seafarers in the Gulf for now close to eight weeks. It is a humanitarian crisis. We have never faced such a situation."

The paralysis is total, as Iranian ports pose war-zone risks, while visa restrictions and logistical hurdles along the Arab states lining the Gulf's southern shores make it difficult for many sailors to leave their vessels.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, the official Xinhua news agency reported, without providing further details.

It was the first time since the start of the war that Araghchi has traveled to China, whose close economic and political ties to Tehran give it a unique position of influence.

US President Donald Trump said he was pausing the US effort to guide stranded vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz to allow time for a deal to end the Iran war, but that the American forces' blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister-Designate Ali al-Zaidi, during which Pezeshkian said Iran is ready for dialogue within the framework of international law, but will not acquiesce to force.

Pezeshkian said that "our problem is that on the one hand, the United States is pursuing a policy of maximum pressure against our country, and on the other hand, it expects Iran to come to the negotiating table and ultimately surrender to its unilateral demands ... such an equation is impossible," read a statement published by Pezeshkian's office.

He added that in all previous negotiations, Iran was fully ready to provide, within the framework of international regulations and global monitoring, whatever was deemed necessary under international norms to ensure the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Beijing on Wednesday morning ahead of scheduled talks with China's top diplomat Wang Yi, according to Iran's Tasnim and Fars news agencies.

"Seyyed Abbas Araghchi arrived in Beijing... at the head of a diplomatic delegation. During this visit, our country's Foreign Minister will discuss bilateral relations and regional and international developments with his Chinese counterpart," Fars reported.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was halting the US military operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after just one day, in a bid to reach a deal with Iran to end the Middle East war.

"Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed," Trump said on his Truth Social network.

The United States has completed its offensive operations against Iran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday, even as Washington warned it was ready to unleash a "devastating" response to any new attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by telephone Tuesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, according to the State Department, on a day of deadly Russian attacks in cities across Ukraine.

The two, who spoke at Lavrov's request, "discussed the US-Russia relationship, the Russia-Ukraine war, and Iran," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a brief statement that provided no other details.

Russian forces launched attacks that killed 21 people in Ukraine on Tuesday, as President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Moscow's "utter cynicism" for launching deadly strikes while seeking a truce to stage its May 9 patriotic parade.

Ten civilian sailors have died due to the ongoing conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Tuesday.

Speaking at the White House, Rubio said the US would continue to deploy its assets to defend freedom of navigation in the key thoroughfare.

"They're isolated, they're starving, they're vulnerable and at least 10 sailors have died as a result, civilian sailors," Rubio said, without providing additional details.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that peace between Israel and Lebanon was achievable but that Lebanese militant group Hezbollah was a problem.

"By and large, I think a peace deal between Lebanon and Israel is imminently achievable, and should be," Rubio told reporters in a White House press briefing.

"The problem with Israel and Lebanon is not Israel or Lebanon, it's Hezbollah."

Iran's military on Tuesday denied launching any attacks on the United Arab Emirates over the past days, after the Gulf country accused Tehran of launching drone and missile barrages.

"The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran did not launch any missile or drone operation against the United Arab Emirates these past days," the Khatam al-Anbiya central command said in a statement.

"The report of that country's Ministry of Defence is categorically denied and completely unfounded," it added, however warning that any attacks launched from Emirati territory would be met with a "firm response".

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Iran's military has been reduced to firing "peashooters" and that Tehran privately wants to make a deal

Israel military chief says ready to 'respond with force' if attacked by Iran

President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed Iran's military capability and said Tehran "should wave the white flag of surrender" but is too proud to do so.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Iran's military has been reduced to firing "peashooters" and that Tehran privately wants to make a deal despite its public sabre-rattling.

"They play games, but let me just tell you, they want to make a deal. And who wouldn't, when your military is totally gone?" he said.

Trump heaped praise on the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports in the region. "It's like a piece of steel. Nobody's going to challenge the blockade. And I think it's working out very well," he said.

(Reuters)

The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday its air defences were engaging missiles and drones coming from Iran for the second consecutive day, weeks into a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East war.

"UAE air defence systems are actively engaging with missiles and UAV threats," the defence ministry said in a statement on X, adding that they had "come from Iran".

On Monday, an Iranian drone attack caused a fire, injuring three people at an energy installation in Fujairah, close to the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway that is the focus of tensions between the US and Iran.

Fujairah is the UAE's main oil export terminal bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

(AFP)

Speaking on Tuesday, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth stressed that Washington is not seeking escalation and that the current truce with Iran remains in place but drew a firm line on attacks against commercial vessels.

The United States is "not looking for a fight" over the Strait of Hormuz and its ceasefire with Iran still holds, but any attack on commercial shipping will be met with a "devastating" response, the Pentagon chief said Tuesday.

The warning from Pete Hegseth came on the second day of a US effort to facilitate the transit of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had closed in response to the US-Israeli war against the Islamic republic.

"We're not looking for a fight. But Iran also cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their goods from an international waterway," Hegseth told reporters.

"If you attack American troops or innocent commercial shipping, you will face overwhelming and devastating American firepower," the Pentagon chief said.

(AFP)

The United States is "not looking for a fight" over the Strait of Hormuz, but any Iranian attack on shipping will be met with a "devastating" response, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Tuesday.

"We're not looking for a fight. But Iran also cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their goods from an international waterway," Hegseth told reporters, adding: "If you attack American troops or innocent commercial shipping, you will face overwhelming and devastating American firepower."

(AFP)

US forces are ready to resume major combat operations against Iran if they are ordered to do so, the top US military officer said on Tuesday.

US Central Command "and the rest of the joint force remain ready to resume major combat operations against Iran if ordered to do so. No adversary should mistake our current restraint with a lack of resolve," General Dan Caine told reporters.

(AFP)

Iran's powerful chief negotiator warned the United States against any further escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, after a spate of attacks risked reigniting the Middle East war.

The US military said its Apache and Seahawk helicopters hit six Iranian boats threatening commercial shipping and its forces repelled missile and drones on Monday, while the UAE reported fresh Iranian attacks on its territory. 

Iran's latest warning followed US President Donald Trump announcing a plan to guide ships from neutral countries out of the Gulf, before the rivals traded fire as they vie for control of the waterway with duelling maritime blockades.

(AFP)

Iran's chief negotiator in talks with the United States has warned that his country has "not even started" in its standoff over the Strait of Hormuz.

"We know full well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America; whilst we have not even started yet," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted on X.

Ghalibaf, who is also the speaker in Iran's parliament, said the actions of the US and its allies had put shipping security at risk, but said their "malign presence will diminish".

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has "strongly condemned" the missile and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in the UAE.

"Pakistan stands firmly with our Emirati brothers and sisters as well as with the Government of the United Arab Emirates at this difficult time. It is absolutely essential that the ceasefire be upheld and respected, to allow necessary diplomatic space for dialogue leading to enduring peace and stability in the region," Sharif, who facilitated the Iran-US ceasefire talks, posted on X. 

An Israeli military official said the army remained on high alert and was monitoring the situation after the US admiral announced the destroyed Iranian boats and shot-down missiles.

Denmark's freight giant Maersk has said that one of its ships has successfully sailed through the Strait of Hormuz under US escort.

The ship, US-flagged Alliance Fairfax, had been stuck in the Gulf since the war erupted in February and was "offered the opportunity" to leave accompanied by the US military.

"The vessel subsequently exited the Persian Gulf accompanied by US military assets" on May 4, the company said in a statement.

"The transit was completed without incident, and all crew members are safe and unharmed."

New Delhi has said the reported Iranian attack on the UAE's Fujairah that resulted in injury to three Indian nationals is "unacceptable".

"We call for immediate cessation of these hostilities and the targeting of civilian infrastructure and innocent civilians. India continues to stand for dialogue and diplomacy to deal with the situation, so that peace and stability may be restored across West Asia," a spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said.

"We also call for free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the Strait of Hormuz in keeping with international law. India stands ready to support all efforts for a peaceful resolution of issues," the statement read.

The United Arab Emirates's education ministry has ordered all schools to return to remote teaching for the remainder of the week following fresh attacks on the country by Iran.

The United Kingdom, France, Germany and Saudi Arabia have called for de-escalation in the Middle East following reported attacks on the United Arab Emirates.

Britain's Prime Minister said that the "escalation must cease", while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote on X that "Tehran must return to the negotiating table and stop holding the region and the world hostage."

Iran had "no pre-planned programme" to attack oil facilities in the United Arab Emirates, Iranian state TV has said.

"The Islamic Republic had no pre-planned programme to attack the oil facilities in question, and what happened was the product of the US military's adventurism to create a passage for ships to illegally pass through the forbidden passages of the Strait of Hormuz, and the US military must be held accountable for it," an Iranian military official told state TV.

"US officials must end the ugly behaviour of using force in the diplomatic process and stop military adventurism in this sensitive oil region that affects the economies of all countries in the world," the official added.

US President Donald Trump has warned Iran will be "blown off the face of the Earth" if they attack US vessels escorting stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump's statement came a day after he announced an operation -- Project Freedom -- to escort trapped vessels through the key route.

Three Indians were injured after a drone attack from Iran caused a fire at a major UAE oil industry zone.

The UAE said it came under a barrage of missiles and drones from Iran.

"These attacks represent a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable transgression, posing a direct threat to the state's security, stability, and the safety of its territories," the UAE's foreign ministry said in a statement.

The UAE also said a strike targeted an energy installation in the emirate of Fujairah.

A ceasefire between Iran and the United States risks collapse as the two countries traded fire over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

A US admiral said American forces sank six small Iranian ships. The Islamic republic denied any combat vessels had been hit, but accused the US of killing civilians on boats.

US forces "attacked two small boats carrying people... they martyred five civilian passengers and must be held accountable for their crime," Iranian state TV posted on Telegram.