The Times – UAE shoots down Iranian missiles for first time since ceasefire — as it happened
Trump calls Iran conflict a ‘mini-war’
Speaking at a small business summit at the White House, President Trump touched briefly on the war in Iran.
“I call it a mini-war — they don’t have ships anymore,” he said. He also joked that he would have preferred to keep Iran’s better quality ships had Tehran agreed a deal.
“I said why didn’t you take it, why did you send it to the bottom of the sea. I would’ve liked to keep them.”
US commander: Iran terrorising commercial ships
The head of the US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, has issued a statement saying US forces were helping to restore the flow of global commerce.
“The IRGC on the other hand, is doing everything it can to terrorise and threaten commercial shipping,” he posted on X.
“My operational assessment overall is that the US military has the clear advantage. We have an enormous amount of capability and firepower concentrated in and around the Strait of Hormuz.”
Gulf ceasefire shatters as US and Iran clash
A four-week ceasefire in the Gulf was shattered by exchanges of fire after President Trump launched the operation he called “Project Freedom” to guide vessels through the Strait of Hormuz (David Charter and Samer Al-Atrush write).
Iran fired its first missile and drone attack on the United Arab Emirates since the ceasefire came into force on April 8. A drone struck an oil port in the emirate of Fujairah, injuring three people, and several missiles were shot down over the sea, according to the UAE defence ministry.
South Korea said one of its ships had been set ablaze off the UAE and Iran claimed it had fired at US navy ships, saying it would enforce its closure of the strait in defiance of Trump’s plan to help ships belonging to “neutral and innocent bystanders” safely out of the Gulf.
Trump ridicules Biden and Obama as ‘cowards’ and ‘traitors’
President Trump has shared another AI image to his Truth Social account, showing his two most recent predecessors, Joe Biden and Barack Obama, as cowards and traitors.
In the latest image, Trump is seen standing, with the American flag in the background, annotated with the caption “leaders lead”, while the two panels show Biden kneeling, with a caption “cowards kneel”, and Obama bowing to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with the caption “traitors bow”.
Trump: Iranian missile evades UAE defences
President Trump said an Iranian missile evaded defences in the UAE. Speaking to ABC in a phone interview, Trump said: “They [Iranian missiles] were shot down for the most part … One got through. Not huge damage.”
In the same interview, Trump stopped short of saying Iran has violated the ceasefire.
UAE intercepts ‘12 Iranian missiles’
The UAE has claimed that its air defence systems engaged 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones launched from Iran in a post on X.
“The Ministry of Defence affirmed that it remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats and will firmly confront anything that aims to undermine the security of the country, in a manner that ensures the protection of its sovereignty, security and stability and safeguards its interests and national capabilities,” it said.
Comment: Deals with Iran don’t come easy
Every time I hear President Trump give an upbeat assessment of talks with Iran — “they’re making an offer”, they are “very reasonable”, “they’d like to work a deal”, “they called this morning” — I wonder whether he has ever met any Iranians (William Hague writes). Anyone who has been involved in negotiations with them, as I was as foreign secretary in 2013, knows that a combination of pride, cunning, complex decision-making and natural brinkmanship makes doing a deal with them a slow and exhausting business.
It was in November 2013 in Geneva that we achieved a breakthrough in the nuclear talks with Iran. It had its comical aspects: we had to point out to the Russians before they opened champagne that the Iranians didn’t drink.
But it was an important moment, in which Iran agreed to freeze nuclear enrichment in return for a freeze on new sanctions, and that talks on a full deal — which later became the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) — would begin. The final deal took another 20 painstaking months. It limited Iran’s nuclear activities, opened them up to rigorous international inspection and in return lifted sanctions on Iranian oil.
Trump threatens Iran in Fox interview
President Trump has told Fox News that if the Iranians targeted US ships in the Gulf region they would be “blown off the face of the Earth”.
Trump said in a phone interview there were two pathways: Iran makes a deal in good faith or combat operations could resume. Trump praised Iran for showing some flexibility in talks and called the US naval blockade the greatest military manoeuvre in history.
UAE flights disrupted by missile threat
Flights into the UAE have been affected as missiles and drones continued to be fired from Iran, according to reports
While Iran said it had no plans to target the UAE, there have been at least four missiles and a drone shot down by the Gulf state.
The UAE said its air defences were engaging missiles and drone threats on Monday night which had affected the country’s air space.
The White House has posted a meme of President Trump as a character from Star Wars.
“In a galaxy that demands strength — America stands ready,” it said on the post on X. “This is the way. May the 4th be with you.”
May 4 is known by fans as Star Wars day.
In the AI-generated image, it appears the US president is the character from The Mandalorian, a TV series and upcoming movie, carrying baby Yoda in a pouch.
‘Perhaps it is time for South Korea to join the mission’
President Trump has urged South Korea to help open the Strait of Hormuz after one of its cargo ships was damaged in the crucial shipping channel.
The US president has repeatedly called on allies to help join the US naval blockade in the strait, but so far no other nations have signed up.
Trump gave an update on the latest developments, including claims Iranian ships that had been sunk by US forces.
He posted on Truth Social: “Iran has taken some shots at unrelated Nations with respect to the Ship Movement, PROJECT FREEDOM, including a South Korean Cargo Ship. Perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission!
“We’ve shot down seven small Boats or, as they like to call them, ‘fast’ Boats. It’s all they have left. Other than the South Korean Ship, there has been, at this moment, no damage going through the Strait.”
Attacks are violation of law, UAE says
The United Arab Emirates has warned Iran it reserved the right to respond to today’s missile and drone attacks, which is said were violations of international law.
In a statement it said: “These attacks constitute a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable transgression.”
Iran state television quoted an unnamed military officials who said that “Iran has no plans to target the UAE”.
Earlier, Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command said: “[The] UAE has exceptional capability. They’re well positioned to defend themselves”.
US ‘destroys six Iranian small boats’
The US military has destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones fired by Tehran, the head of US Central Command said.
Admiral Brad Cooper said he “strongly advised” Iranian forces to remain clear of US military assets, as the US launches an operation to free up shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
He said a US blockade of Iran, which prevents ships from going to or from Iranian ports, also remained in effect.
Iran has denied the US had sunk the six ships.
Starmer’s Strait proposals welcomed
Sir Keir Starmer’s proposal for a “reassurance” and “military” presence to ensure vessels can transit through the Strait of Hormuz safely is welcome in a “crucial waterway,” the principal director of marine at the International Chamber of Shipping has said.
John Stawpert told Times Radio the organisation had “been discussing this with the UK government, the Royal Navy and other partners”.
“It’s an interesting concept. It’s still, to my understanding, on the drawing board. We do have experience of these sorts of constructs, in the fight against piracy was the most notable example of this.”
The prime minister told reporters in Armenia earlier: “The situation is clearly evolving. It is really important that we get the Strait of Hormuz open, because that is directly impacting on our economy in the United Kingdom.”
UAE again under attack
Iranian missiles fired at the UAE is the first such attack since the ceasefire started last month, as concerns mount over the resumption of Tehran’s war with the US.
Iran had focused much of its fire on the UAE during the war, targeting everything from oil infrastructure and airports to data centres. It also shut down the main natural gas field in Qatar and repeatedly tried attacking some of Saudi Arabia’s largest oil fields.
The four missiles fired at the UAE on Monday — including three shot down and one which fell into the sea — as well as the drone attack which caused a fire at the oil refinery in Fujairah could result in US forces retaliating.
UAE ‘intercepts three Iranian missiles’
The UAE defence ministry said it intercepted three missiles from Iran on Monday, while a fourth missile landed in the sea.
It comes as authorities said a fire broke out at the Fujairah oil industry zone following a drone attack originating from Iran.
Civil defence teams were deployed immediately to contain the blaze, Fujairah media office said in a statement.
Three people, all Indian nationals, were injured in the attack, according to the Fujairah government.
Earlier today missile alerts sounded in the UAE for the first time since the ceasefire in the Iran war started on April 8.
Iran: No commercial ships have crossed Strait
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said no commercial vessels had crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, saying claims by US officials that two US-flagged ships had passed were “baseless and entirely false”.
The IRGC said any other movements in the crucial shipping lane would “face serious risks”.
Bessent: US petrol prices will come down
Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, admitted that higher petrol prices were affecting Americans, but said they were expected to come down quickly when the conflict with Iran ends.
With President Trump visiting China on May 14, Bessent also urged the Chinese to join the US in supporting the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
He defended the naval blockade in the strait, saying it was hurting the Iranian regime.
“We have blockaded the ships going into or out of Iranian ports. Their economy is in freefall,” he said in an interview with Fox News.
“Their soldiers will not have a high tolerance for not getting paid.”
Trump dismisses Iranian claims
President Trump has responded to Iranian claims it hit two US ships in the Strait of Hormuz today.
In a post on Truth Social, the US leader published four pictures depicting himself, the US navy, air force and missile defence systems. Under each picture, he had the words “100 per cent operational”.
Under the next set of pictures, he depicted the Iranian navy, air force and air defences, with the word “destroyed” underneath and a big red cross.
There was also a picture of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader of Iran, with the word “dead” underneath, accompanied by a red cross.
South Korea investigates damage to ship in Strait
South Korea said it was looking to verify intelligence that a South Korean-flagged vessel was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.
The country’s maritime ministry said an explosion took place in the engine room of the Korean vessel on Monday.
The foreign ministry in Seoul said no casualties were reported due to the possible attack, according to Yonhap News.
UAE missile alerts sound for first time since ceasefire
Missile alerts have sounded in the United Arab Emirates for the first time since the ceasefire in the Iran war started last month.
The alert told residents to immediately seek a safe place and await further instructions.
But half an hour later authorities in the UAE later sent another phone alert telling residents the situation was safe.
Iran fired missiles near US destroyers, state media claims
The Iranian navy fired cruise missiles, rockets and combat drones near US destroyers crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, according to Iranian state television.
Earlier reports from Fars, the semi-official Iranian news agency, claimed US destroyers were hit by missiles. The US denied this.
The latest report suggests that the Iranians were firing warning shots at US ships. Meanwhile, the US military said two guided-missile destroyers had entered the Gulf to help ships be escorted through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Times View: Iran’s domestic repression must not be forgotten
The economic and geopolitical consequences of America and Israel’s war in Iran, and the fitful ceasefire that has followed, have become too complex to calculate with any certainty. But one feature of the conflict remains as clear as ever: the moral contrast between its participants.
The Iranian regime is a moral blemish on the world order: a purveyor of terror abroad and a callous oppressor of its own people. Though reporting from within the country remains hard to verify, the evidence suggests that the authorities have used the pretext of war to brutalise its people to an even greater degree than before. This wickedness should not be forgotten amid the fog of war.
Particularly desperate is the situation of the hundreds of children being held in Iran’s prisons. These children, among an estimated 54,000 citizens detained, were caught up in waves of arbitrary arrests during the regime’s desperate attempts to crush mass protests at the start of the year. Since US and Israeli airstrikes began on February 28, suspected dissidents have been made to pay an ever greater price.
US ships that crossed Strait took an ‘extraordinary risk’
The transiting of two US-flagged merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz was “an extraordinary risk”, a former director-general of the European Union Military Staff has said.
David Leakey told Times Radio that if they had been targeted and hit, “that would have perhaps justified a retaliation by the United States military as a warning to Iran that if they don’t open the straits to the freedom of traffic, if they start targeting the merchantmen or warships transiting the strait, then they can expect retribution.
“Maybe that just raises the negotiating stakes a little bit.”
Centcom: Two US-flagged vessels have crossed Strait
Two US-flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz as US navy guided-missile destroyers operate in the Gulf, according to US Central Command (Centcom).
Amid conflicting reports about whether Iran has hit a US warship — which the US has denied — Centcom said the US ships had passed through the crucial shipping route.
“American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping,” it said in a statement.
Starmer: Situation evolving in Strait of Hormuz
Sir Keir Starmer said there was “a lot of attention” on the Strait of Hormuz, after the US said it would begin guiding stranded ships through the vital waterway and amid reports Iran fired missiles at a US navy vessel.
The prime minister told reporters in Armenia: “The situation is clearly evolving. It is really important that we get the Strait of Hormuz open, because that is directly impacting on our economy in the United Kingdom.
“And that’s why in recent months we’ve pulled together a group of countries to have a reassurance presence, including a military presence, as soon as it’s safe to get vessels through. We’re discussing that at the European political community summit here this afternoon.”
How Trump’s war will help China woo swathes of Asia
Preparations are under way for one of the most anticipated diplomatic encounters of the year. Hundreds of officials in the United States and China are working to ensure that Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing, currently scheduled for May 14-15, goes off without a hitch.
At least two “Beasts” — armoured Cadillacs, rumoured to be fitted with tear gas grenade launchers and door handles capable of electrocuting attackers — will be airlifted to China via military transport plane. Menus and ingredients are being safety-checked, and the itinerary is planned in 15-minute increments.
Control over the practicalities of a summit is one thing; mastery of its political context quite another. Trump had hoped to land in Beijing fresh from an epoch-making victory over Iran. Instead, he has showcased to China the limitations of US power when faced with hard geographical and economic realities like the Strait of Hormuz, the fractured state of Nato and the depletion of America’s stockpile of munitions. Added to all this, he risks, slowly but surely, losing Asia.
Traffic in Strait remains at a near-total standstill
There were no signs of increased vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, a day after President Trump said the US would begin efforts to free up shipping.
Only one tanker, a sanctioned, handy-sized LPG carrier, along with a few cargo ships and a cable-laying vessel passed into the Gulf of Oman, MarineTraffic data showed.
No tankers or other commercial vessels were seen lining up to transit and the German shipping group Hapag-Lloyd said transit for its vessels remained impossible due to a lack of clarity over secure passage procedures.
Centcom said it would begin helping to restore freedom of navigation through the strait, while continuing its blockade of Iranian ports.
The shipping industry has received no guidance regarding the American operation and its intent, while the overall security situation remained unchanged, the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) said.
“Without consent from Iran to let commercial ships transit safely through the Strait of Hormuz, it is currently not clear whether the Iranian threat to ships can be degraded or suppressed,” the shipping association’s chief safety and security officer, Jakob Larsen, said. BIMCO provides security alerts for the industry.
Three prisoners hanged in Iran over protests
Mehdi Rassouli, Mohammad Reza Miri and Ebrahim Dolatabadi were executed in Iran after being convicted over unrest in the eastern city of Mashhad, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency announced.
It was not specified when or where they were executed, but the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said that Rassouli, 25, and Miri, 21, were hanged at dawn on Sunday at the Vakilabad prison in Mashhad.
Protests began in December over the cost of living but intensified into nationwide rallies against the Islamic republic, peaking as mass demonstrations on the nights of January 8 and 9.
Rights groups said that thousands were killed in a crackdown by security forces, while authorities blamed “rioters” who they said that they were backed by the United States and Israel.
Mizan said that Rassouli and Miri were responsible for the death of a member of the security forces and described Dolatabadi as one of the “instigators” of the unrest in Mashhad.
The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights described the three as “political prisoners” who had been sentenced “after unfair trials in the revolutionary courts”.
Acts of piracy by IRGC in Strait, says UAE
The UAE said Iran fired two drones at a tanker affiliated with its state oil company Adnoc in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents acts of piracy by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” the foreign ministry said, adding that there had been no injuries.
No US navy ships have been hit, says Centcom
US Central Command has said that no US navy ships have been struck.
“CLAIM: Iranian state media claims that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hit a US warship with two missiles,” it posted on its official X account.
“TRUTH: No US navy ships have been struck. US forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports.”
However, Iran has asserted that it had and forced the US warship to turn back.
US official denies attack on ship
A senior American official has denied that a US ship was struck by Iranian missiles on Monday.
“Senior US official denies a US ship was hit by Iranian missiles,” the global affairs correspondent for Axios, Barak Ravid, wrote on X.
The report conflicts with Iranian accounts claiming it struck a US warship with two missiles as it tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz .
The Fars news agency said a US frigate ignored Iran’s warning when sailing near Jask, citing local sources.
The post UAE shoots down Iranian missiles for first time since ceasefire — as it happened appeared first on Human Right Activists In Iran.
