Ships seen near Qeshm Island, Iran, in the Strait of Hormuz on 28 April 2026. [Getty]
An Iranian drone caused damage to an oil complex in the United Arab Emirates on Monday in what was the first strike since the ceasefire came into effect almost a month ago.
Fujairah’s media office said a “large fire broke out” at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone following what it said was an Iranian drone attack. Emergency services were deployed to contain the blaze, it said.
The strike came amid rising tensions in the Gulf on the back of US President Donald Trump’s plan to deploy US warships near the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices surged more than six percent on the news, as anxieties increased over a potential resumption of the war.
The UAE faced several waves of missile and drone attacks on Monday afternoon. The defence ministry said it had intercepted three missiles shortly before authorities announced the strike on the oil facility.
Iran’s military on Sunday warned ships anchored in the UAE’s Ras al-Khaimah to move to Dubai. Hours later, a tanker was struck by a projectile off the coast of Fujairah.
Trump announced Sunday that the US Navy would help guide stranded vessels through the strait, triggering fresh warnings from Iran’s military, which vowed to attack any US ships entering the area.
Both countries contested the ensuing events in the region, with Iran denying US claims and American warships and commercial vessels having passed through the strait.
A US official earlier rejected reports in Iranian media that missiles had struck a US Navy ship near the strategic waterway.
Iran has choked traffic through the shipping corridor since the US-Israel attack on 28 February and has tried to impose transit fees on ships exiting the Gulf.
The closure has shut in vital supplies of oil, gas and fertilisers and triggered a global energy crisis.
It has also trapped more than 2,000 ships in the Gulf for almost 10 weeks.
The UAE bore the brunt of Iran’s attacks during the six-week war, shooting down hundreds of missiles and drones and suffering significant damage to its energy infrastructure.
