Iran warns Gulf countries against helping US after UAE cuts trade ties

TEHRAN: Iran's military has cautioned Gulf nations on Wednesday not to aid U.S. forces, following the UAE's decision to sever economic ties with Tehran due to recent attacks on shipping. The Gulf region is home to multiple U.S. military installations, including in the UAE, which stated that Iran had launched two ballistic missiles at vessels off its coast on Tuesday.

Despite a recent ebb in tensions between the U.S. and Iran, the Strait of Hormuz - which Tehran has intermittently blockaded and through which vessels departing many UAE ports must pass - continues to be a point of contention. Attacks on commercial ships have persisted.

The U.S.-Iran framework aimed at reopening the crucial trade route collapsed, and although both sides claimed ongoing communications, President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that discussions were suspended, taunting Iran by insinuating it had turned the strait into a "NEW US Territory." Iran's armed forces chief of staff, Ali Abdollahi, warned on Wednesday that any assistance or support to the aggressor U.S. military amounts to collaboration in the U.S. military operation, according to the Mehr news agency.

He expressed doubt that numerous military aircraft, especially refueling planes, could be present in regional bases without host countries' knowledge, adding that the Gulf countries should be aware that Iran is fully aware of the situation.

On Tuesday, the UAE suspended all economic dealings with Iran. Foreign Ministry communications director Afra Al Hameli announced that all trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran are halted until further notice. Earlier, Abu Dhabi accused Iran of firing two ballistic missiles towards the country, which later clarified that the missiles were directed at shipping, one of which fell within the UAE's territorial waters.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, categorically denied the UAE's claim that Iran had launched a missile towards the country.

The Gulf neighbors, who share deep cultural and historical ties, have been major trading partners for U.S.-sanctioned Iran before the conflict. The UAE's announcement of severing economic ties with Iran is the latest measure against Tehran. After recalling its ambassador, shutting Iran-linked schools and a hospital, the UAE has been targeting UAE's state-owned oil company ADNOC tankers in recent weeks.

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict have stalled, but Jared Kushner, Trump's envoy and son-in-law, claimed on Monday that the U.S. and Iran were engaged in "very positive and active conversations." However, Trump denied this on Tuesday, insisting that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, despite the ongoing Iranian blockade choking trade for months.

Trump also posted a map depicting the strait as a "NEW US Territory," echoing previous threats to annex the vital oil and gas shipping route. The U.S. has largely halted military operations, with reports suggesting the war has strained stockpiles of essential munitions, a claim the Pentagon has denied. The USS George Washington aircraft carrier is being redeployed to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln due to concerns about the crew's living conditions.