UAE says air defences 'actively engaging' missiles, drones coming from Iran

Hegseth says ceasefire is not over; Iran urges US to show ‘minimum good faith’ for diplomacy

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".

The ministry confirmed that the sounds heard in scattered areas of the country are the result of the UAE's air defence systems intercepting ballistic, cruise missiles, and drones.

تتعامل حالياً الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية مع اعتداءات صاروخية وطائرات مسيرة قادمة من ايران وتؤكد وزارة الدفاع أن الاصوات المسموعة في مناطق متفرقة من الدولة هي نتيجة تعامل منظومات الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية للصواريخ الباليستية، والجوالة والطائرات المسيرة.

UAE Air Defences system… pic.twitter.com/CVJeI7MMcA

— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) May 5, 2026

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.

UAE authorities said four cruise missiles were launched, with three successfully shot down and another falling into the sea.

The oil-rich UAE, a staunch US ally on Iran's doorstep, has borne the brunt of Tehran's retaliation, having been targeted by more than 2,800 missiles and drones during the war.

Fire at UAE’s Fujairah port not a planned Iranian attack, says Iranian military official

An unnamed Iranian military official said the fire at Fujairah port was not a planned Iranian attack and instead blamed what he described as United States “military adventurism,” according to Al Jazeera.

“The Islamic Republic had no pre‑planned programme to attack the mentioned oil facilities, and what happened was the result of US military adventurism aimed at creating a passage for the illegal transit of ships through the restricted waterways of the Strait of Hormuz,” the official told Iran’s IRIB news agency.

“The US military must be held accountable for this. US officials must put an end to the improper practice of using force in the diplomatic process and stop military adventurism in this sensitive oil region, which affects the economies of countries around the world.”

Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said in a social media post on Tuesday that the security of shipping and energy transit had been threatened by breaches of the four-week-old ceasefire by the US and its allies.

معادلهٔ‌ جدید تنگهٔ هرمز در حال تثبیت است. امنیت کشتیرانی و ترانزیت انرژی به دست آمریکا و متحدانش با نقض آتش‌بس و اعمال محاصره به خطر افتاده است؛ البته شرّشان کم خواهد شد.

خوب می‌دانیم که استمرار وضع موجود برای آمریکا غیر قابل تحمل است؛ درحالی که ما هنوز حتی شروع هم نکرده‌ایم.

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) May 5, 2026

"The new equation of the Strait of Hormuz is in the process of being solidified. The security of shipping and energy transit has been jeopardised by the United States and its allies through the violation of the ceasefire and the imposition of a blockade," the X post read.

"We know well that the continuation of the current situation is unbearable for the United States, while we have not even begun yet," he said.

Read: Truce hangs by a thread as Hormuz heats up

Hegseth says 'ceasefire is not over'

Earlier, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that a US operation to protect commercial ships from Iran in the Strait of Hormuz was temporary, Washington was not looking for a fight, and the ceasefire with Iran was still in effect.

"The ceasefire is not over," Hegseth told reporters.

"We said we would defend and defend aggressively, and we absolutely have. Iran knows that, and ultimately, the president can make a decision whether anything were to escalate into a violation of a ceasefire," he said.

A fragile truce in the Middle East was under strain on Tuesday after the US and Iran exchanged fire in the Gulf as they wrestled for control of the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump launched a new operation, called Project Freedom, on Monday as he sought to wrest control of the critical waterway from Iran, which effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz after the US and Israel started the conflict on February 28.

Hegseth said that Iran does not control the strait.

"Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration, with one mission, protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression. American forces won't need to enter Iranian waters or airspace. It's not necessary. We're not looking for a fight," Hegseth said.

Hegseth and Caine hold a briefing on Iran https://t.co/YTHQvzyN8L

— Reuters (@Reuters) May 5, 2026

The strait is a vital thoroughfare for global supplies of oil, fertiliser and other commodities that have been virtually closed since the U.S. and Israel began attacks on Iran on February 28, causing price rises around the world.

Several merchant ships ​in the Gulf reported explosions or fires on Monday, and an oil port in the United Arab Emirates, which hosts a large U.S. military base, was set ablaze by Iranian missiles.

Iran warns 'not even started' in Hormuz

Iran's 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 drone attacks on Monday, while the UAE reported fresh Iranian attacks on its territory.

"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, also the speaker in Iran's parliament, wrote in a post on X.

معادلهٔ‌ جدید تنگهٔ هرمز در حال تثبیت است. امنیت کشتیرانی و ترانزیت انرژی به دست آمریکا و متحدانش با نقض آتش‌بس و اعمال محاصره به خطر افتاده است؛ البته شرّشان کم خواهد شد.

خوب می‌دانیم که استمرار وضع موجود برای آمریکا غیر قابل تحمل است؛ درحالی که ما هنوز حتی شروع هم نکرده‌ایم.

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) May 5, 2026

Ghalibaf said the actions of the US and its allies had put shipping security at risk, but said their "malign presence will diminish", with Tehran vowing not to surrender control of the Hormuz Strait.

It denied any of its combat ships had been hit in US attacks but accused Washington of killing five civilian passengers on boats.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that if the US is serious about diplomacy, it needs to seize the opportunity and show “minimum good faith.”

Baghaei told Iranian state media Press TV that the international community is closely watching the US’s actions and expects a constructive approach.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

🔹Iran is negotiating in an atmosphere of deep distrust and suspicion of the United States. pic.twitter.com/DTir5tP4VW

— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) May 5, 2026

He said the war against Iran was a “war of choice” by the US, and its consequences have been felt globally.

Baghaei criticised shifting US justifications for the conflict, saying Washington initially cited an “imminent threat,” before denying that stance, while continuing to link the war to Iran’s nuclear program.

He reiterated that Iran’s nuclear activities are peaceful and that claims to the contrary were used as a pretext for what he described as an unlawful war.

New US trade route in Hormuz ‘rocky, shallow, and risky’

The US-led Joint Maritime Information Centre is advising stranded ships to cross the Hormuz Strait in Oman’s waters, saying it set up an “enhanced security area”, according to Al Jazeera.

However, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday that two commercial vessels attempting to traverse the sea route are now stuck.

“The waters near the coast of Oman are rocky, and the vessels are unable to leave or return from this part,” Fars quoted an unnamed Iranian “informed source” as saying, as per Al Jazeera.

“The southern coast of the Strait of Hormuz – near the two islands of Musandam and al-Khail – does not have the geographical ability to become a maritime corridor, and the passage of vessels through the rocky and shallow southern areas is very risky,” the news report said.

Conflicting reports

Iran's ​Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has effectively closed the narrow waterway under threat of mines, drones, missiles and gunboats. The US has responded with a blockade of Iranian ⁠ports.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday's events showed there was no military solution to the crisis. He said peace talks were progressing with Pakistan's mediation, and warned the US and the UAE against being ​drawn into a "quagmire."

The US military said two US merchant ships made it through the strait, without saying when, with the support of Navy guided-missile destroyers.

While Iran denied any crossings had taken place, Maersk said the Alliance Fairfax, ​a US-flagged ship, exited the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, accompanied by the US military, on Monday.

The commander of US forces in the region said his fleet had destroyed six small Iranian boats, which Iran also denied. Iranian media quoted a military commander as saying US forces targeted civilian boats, killing five civilians.

Read more: Trump says Iran will be 'blown off the face of the earth' if it targets US vessels

Iran also said on Monday it had fired on a US warship approaching the strait, forcing it to turn around. Iranian officials later described the fire as warning shots.

Reuters could not independently ​verify the full situation in the strait on Monday as the warring sides issued contradictory statements.

South Korea reported that one of its merchant ships, HMM Namu, in the strait suffered an explosion and fire in its engine ​room, though no one aboard was hurt. A South Korean government spokesperson said it was unclear if an attack caused the fire.

Also on Monday, the British maritime security agency UKMTO reported two ships had been hit off ‌the coast ⁠of the UAE, and the Emirati oil company ADNOC said one of its empty oil tankers was hit by Iranian drones.

Israel acknowledges bombing 500 areas in Lebanon during ceasefire, 5 soldiers killed

The Israeli army acknowledged Tuesday it has struck about 500 areas in Lebanon since a ceasefire took effect on April 17, and that five Israeli soldiers were killed and 33 others injured by Hezbollah fire.

“Five soldiers from the army and security forces were killed and 33 others injured since the ceasefire,” Army Radio said, amid what it described as strict censorship over the full extent of losses.

The broadcaster explained that three soldiers were killed by explosive-laden drones, two by improvised explosive devices, 31 were injured by explosive devices and two in clashes with Hezbollah fighters.

In recent weeks, Hezbollah’s drones have become a growing concern in Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describing them as a “major threat.”

According to the radio, Israeli aircraft carried out strikes on about 500 areas since the ceasefire, all in southern Lebanon except for one target in the Bekaa region.

"These figures demonstrate that there is no ceasefire in southern Lebanon,” Army Radio said.

Despite the ceasefire that was announced on April 17 and extended until May 17, the Israeli army continues daily strikes in Lebanon and widespread demolition of homes in dozens of villages.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Monday that 17 people were killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll from Israeli attacks since March 2 to 2,696, with 8,264 injured.

Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some for decades and others since the previous war between 2023 and 2024, and has advanced about 10 kilometres into Lebanese territory during the current offensive.

Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli soldiers and vehicles in the strategic coastal area of Biyyada, while also striking a tank with a drone in the town of al-Qaouzah, according to Al Jazeera.

In a further update, the group said it struck Israeli bulldozers in the towns of Deir Siryan and Rashaf.

Israeli air attacks have been reported in the southern Lebanese towns of al-Mansouri and Qaaqaait al-Jisr, according to Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it had struck a tank with a guided missile in the town of al-Bayadah.