Iran launched missile and drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates and ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, escalating tensions under a fragile ceasefire with the United States. The strikes came hours after President Donald Trump announced Project Freedom, an operation to guide approximately 2,000 stranded commercial vessels through the strait, which Iran has effectively blockaded since late February.

The U.S. Central Command reported that its forces sank six to seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fast boats that interfered with the escorted transits, including two U.S.-flagged merchant ships that successfully passed through. Iran denied losses and claimed its drones struck a U.S. warship, a report denied by U.S. officials. In the UAE, air defenses intercepted 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles, and four drones targeting Fujairah, where a refinery fire injured three Indian nationals. A South Korean cargo ship and a UAE tanker also reported strikes in the strait.

The incidents marked the second consecutive day of Iranian attacks on the UAE, following a small-scale strike on Fujairah the previous day. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the assaults as unprovoked terrorism and reserved the right to respond. Iran's Fars News Agency blamed U.S. adventurism for the refinery hit, while an IRGC commander demanded accountability for alleged U.S. attacks on civilian boats that killed five passengers.

The clashes tested a ceasefire agreed on April 8, mediated by Pakistan, which halted major hostilities in the 2026 Iran war that began February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites. Initially, for two weeks, Trump extended it indefinitely, but the Strait of Hormuz remained closed, stranding ships carrying vital oil and fertilizer supplies. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the truce holds, with Iranian actions below the threshold for resuming full combat. Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine echoed that assessment.

Trump described Iran's responses as peashooter fire from a weakened military eager for a deal, emphasizing Project Freedom as a humanitarian effort to free neutral vessels. Iran expanded its claimed control zone in the strait and warned of mines, drones, and missiles against non-compliant ships.

The war has caused significant casualties and damage, with the UAE intercepting hundreds of Iranian projectiles since February and reporting 13 deaths overall. Global markets face disruptions, with oil prices surging and the International Monetary Fund warning of prolonged economic fallout even if resolved immediately. Hundreds more ships lined up on Monday, awaiting safe passage as U.S. forces continued patrols.