UAE imposes indefinite trade embargo on Iran over alleged missile attacks

The United Arab Emirates has imposed an indefinite trade embargo on Iran following accusations that Iranian forces fired two ballistic missiles at the country, a claim Tehran denies. The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the decision was made due to escalations that threaten regional peace and security, halting all trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran.

The decision follows the UAE's Ministry of Defence reporting the detection of two ballistic missiles launched from Iran, one falling outside the country's territorial waters and the other landing within them, with the missiles targeting maritime traffic. Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the accusation as "baseless," calling it a "false flag operation" and urging regional parties to avoid unfounded claims against Tehran, emphasizing the need to consider the "malicious actions" of the US and Israel.

This escalation occurred a day after the 60-day window for US-Iranian peace talks expired without a breakthrough in the conflict that began over five months ago. The UAE had previously suspended direct cargo shipping with Iran in early March, resuming trade only in late June through Dubai's Jebel Ali Port. Mark Kimmitt, a retired US general, noted that the trade embargo could impact Iran more severely than any economic pressure the US has applied, as Dubai has become Iran's most important trading partner, supplying roughly a third of Iran's imports annually.