The United Arab Emirates’ defence ministry said on Tuesday that it had detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran towards the Gulf country, as tensions continued to rise across the region.The ministry said both missiles fell into water, with one landing outside the UAE’s territorial waters and the other inside them. It said the country remained prepared to respond to any threats.“The Ministry of Defence confirms that it is on high alert and fully prepared to deal with any threats, and to firmly confront anything aimed at undermining the security of the state, thereby ensuring the preservation of its sovereignty, security and stability, and protecting its interests and national capabilities,” it added.The ministry said that it is ‘ready to deal with any threats.’The missile launches came as efforts continued to reach an agreement between Iran and Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global shipping. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the US had no talks planned with Iran, while insisting the strait remained “open and operating” despite sharply reduced traffic.Trump also said the US blockade of Iranian ports remained “in full force and effect” and claimed that all water mines had been removed. He posted a map depicting the Strait of Hormuz as US territory.Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded on X, saying: “Just as Trump correctly wrote the name of the eternal Persian Gulf, soon his delusion regarding the Strait of Hormuz will either be corrected or we will correct the delusions of this deluded man,” he wrote on X.Shipping data platform Kpler said confirmed crossings through the Strait of Hormuz fell 19.5% last week to 95, with only three vessels passing through on Sunday. No vessels used the Omani routes.Meanwhile, an unidentified projectile damaged the engine room of a ship near Oman, causing “a crew casualty”, according to the British military’s UK Maritime Trade Operations centre. The Omani Coast Guard was assisting the crew, while authorities investigated.Separately, Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed they had launched drones at an oil refinery operated by Saudi Aramco in Saudi Arabia. There were no immediate reports of damage.
