UAE warns exports will not be 'held hostage,' says rebuilding trust with Iran may take 'decades'

The United Arab Emirates has warned that its energy exports will not be held hostage. UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash stated that Abu Dhabi would not accept threats to its energy exports or unilateral control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's top security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, has announced that his country will establish a "prohibited zone" near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. According to Rezaei, this zone will start from the US Navy's blockade line and include areas of the Persian Gulf. Any ship entering this new zone will be placed on Iran's sanctions list, as reported by the Malay Mail and Gulf News.

Iran considers the Strait of Hormuz to be "completely controlled" by Iranian forces. The Gulf News reported that only about seven or eight vessels, mainly humanitarian ships, are currently passing through the strait, compared with more than 100 before the US blockade, according to Iranian claims.

Brief written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post, Malay Mail, Gulf News — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.