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UAE reports drone and missile attack as Iran war ceasefire is challenged

UAE reports drone and missile attack as Iran war ceasefire is challenged


UAE reports drone and missile attack as Iran war ceasefire is challenged

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Iran war’s shaky ceasefire was further strained on Friday as the United Arab Emirates said it intercepted a missile and drone strikes, hours after the U.S. said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and retaliated against Iranian military facilities.

There were no immediate reports of damage in the UAE.

Iran and the U.S. are trading blows as their negotiators seek a deal to end the fighting, but so far they’ve avoided a return to all-out fighting. It's not clear how close the two sides are to a deal on issues like Iran's nuclear program, which the U.S. and Israel vowed to halt when they launched the war on Feb. 28, or the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that Iran has all but closed in a bid to pressure the global economy.

On Thursday, Tehran said it was examining the latest U.S. proposals for ending the war delivered to it via Pakistan, which is serving as a mediator.

Trump played down the exchange of fire between Iran and the U.S. Navy on Thursday. In a phone call with a reporter for ABC, Trump called the retaliatory strikes against Iran “just a love tap.”

He insisted the ceasefire is holding and a deal could come “any day,” but reiterated threats of bombing if Tehran does not accept a deal that allows for resumption of oil and natural gas shipments disrupted by the conflict.

“They have to understand: If it doesn’t get signed, they’re going to have a lot of pain,” he told reporters in Washington.

Iranian state media said the country’s forces exchanged fire with “the enemy” on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. It also reported loud noises and continuous defensive fire in western Tehran late Thursday night.