Iran has fired missiles targeting Dubai in response to Donald Trump’s overnight claims his recent military operation in the Strait of Hormuz was “just a love tap”.
The Emirati ministry of defence has claimed its air defences were “actively engaging” with the assault in the early hours of this morning.
It comes after naval destroyers exchanged a volley of rockets in the Strait, with both Washington and Tehran attributing blame to the other for the breach of the ceasefire agreement.
Iranian ports were later struck after the regime fired on three US destroyers on Thursday night – USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta and USS Mason – which came under fire as they attempted to transit the blockaded oil route.
Mr Trump said drones were “incinerated” in mid air, and missiles were intercepted as small boats attacking US craft “went to the bottom of the sea”.
Iran’s Minab Naval Base and military stronghold on Qeshm Island were hit in response, with damage inflicted on the Bandar-e Khamir and Sirik sites.
Despite ongoing provocation, Mr Trump has urged Iran to agree to peace terms, vowing to “knock them out a lot harder and a lot more violently” should they refuse.
The US President dubbed the strikes on Iran as “just a love tap” and maintained the ceasefire was holding strong.
Iran fired missiles targeting Dubai in an overnight strike
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According to US Central Command (Centcom), the Iranian attacks were “unprovoked”, with “multiple missiles, drones and small boats” deployed as US Navy scrambled to assist guided-missile destroyers.
Mr Trump said on Truth Social: “Just like we knocked them out again today, we’ll knock them out a lot harder and a lot more violently in the future if they don’t get their deal signed fast.”
As a further breach of the ceasefire, Israel also announced renewed attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon today.
The Israeli military claimed the terror group had “violated” the ceasefire, leading to urgent evacuations for six Lebanese towns and villages.
A senior US official confirmed the strikes on the UAE to Fox News, but said the April 7 ceasefire remains in place.
The US is still waiting for a response to a peace proposal that would bring an end to the ongoing war.
A one-page memo from Mr Trump outlined concessions for a permanent peace agreement, that would see the US lift sanctions, free billions in frozen assets, and open a path to uranium enrichment.
The 14-point memo is now being negotiated between senior officials on both sides, including Mr Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The US President dubbed the strikes on Iran as ‘just a love tap’ and maintained the ceasefire was holding strong
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REUTERSIf agreed upon and signed, a 30-day window would begin for both countries to discuss a larger agreement that would cover the reopening of the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
It would also see the lifting of all US sanctions on Iran and set new limits for the country’s nuclear programme – although all uranium enrichment would have to cease for 12 to 15 years.
It also included an automatic extension if Tehran violates the terms, according to Axios.
Mr Trump has fought to avoid retreading Barack Obama‘s 2015 deal after spending years branding it “the worst deal ever”.