Fire at UAE’s Fujairah port not a planned Iranian attack, says Iranian military official | The Express Tribune

An unnamed Iranian military official says the fire at Fujairah port was not a planned Iranian attack and instead shifted the blame to the United States “military adventurism”, according to Al Jazeera.

“The Islamic Republic had no pre‑planned programme to attack the mentioned oil facilities, and what happened was the result of US military adventurism aimed at creating a passage for the illegal transit of ships through the restricted waterways of the Strait of Hormuz,” the official told Iran’s IRIB news agency.

“The US military must be held accountable for this. US officials must put an end to the improper practice of using force in the diplomatic process and stop military adventurism in this sensitive oil region, which affects the economies of countries around the world.”

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said in a social media post on Tuesday that the security of shipping and energy transit had been threatened by breaches of the four-week-old ceasefire by the US and its allies.

“The new equation of the Strait of Hormuz is in the process of being solidified. The security of shipping and energy transit has been jeopardised by the United States and its allies through the violation of the ceasefire and the imposition of a blockade,” the X post read.

“We know well that the continuation of the current situation is unbearable for the United States, while we have not even begun yet,” he said.

Read: Truce hangs by a thread as Hormuz heats up

The strait is a vital thoroughfare for global supplies of oil, fertiliser and other commodities that have been virtually closed since the U.S. and Israel began attacks on Iran on February 28, causing price rises around the world.

Several merchant ships ​in the Gulf reported explosions or fires on Monday, and an oil port in the United Arab Emirates, which hosts a large U.S. military base, was set ablaze by Iranian missiles.

Conflicting reports

Iran’s ​Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has effectively closed the narrow waterway under threat of mines, drones, missiles and gunboats. The US has responded with a blockade of Iranian ⁠ports.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday’s events showed there was no military solution to the crisis. He said peace talks were progressing with Pakistan’s mediation, and warned the US and the UAE against being ​drawn into a “quagmire.”

The US military said two US merchant ships made it through the strait, without saying when, with the support of Navy guided-missile destroyers.

While Iran denied any crossings had taken place, Maersk said the Alliance Fairfax, ​a US-flagged ship, exited the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, accompanied by the US military, on Monday.

The commander of US forces in the region said his fleet had destroyed six small Iranian boats, which Iran also denied. Iranian media quoted a military commander as saying US forces targeted civilian boats, killing five civilians.

Read more: Trump says Iran will be ‘blown off the face of the earth’ if it targets US vessels

Iran also said on Monday it had fired on a US warship approaching the strait, forcing it to turn around. Iranian officials later described the fire as warning shots.

Reuters could not independently ​verify the full situation in the strait on Monday as the warring sides issued contradictory statements.

South Korea reported that one of its merchant ships, HMM Namu, in the strait suffered an explosion and fire in its engine ​room, though no one aboard was hurt. A South Korean government spokesperson said it was unclear if the fire was caused by an attack.

Also on Monday, the British maritime security agency UKMTO reported two ships had been hit off ‌the coast ⁠of the UAE, and the Emirati oil company ADNOC said one of its empty oil tankers was hit by Iranian drones.

Israel continues to bomb Lebanon

There is currently a ceasefire in place between Israel and Lebanon; however, fighting continues as Israel continues to bomb what it claims is Hezbollah-linked infrastructure, causing large amounts of civilian casualties and destroying residential homes.

Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli soldiers and vehicles in the strategic coastal area of Biyyada, while also striking a tank with a drone in the town of al-Qaouzah, according to Al Jazeera.

In a further update, the group said it struck Israeli bulldozers in the towns of Deir Siryan and Rashaf.