Iran Launches Strikes on UAE, US Hits Iranian Ships, Oil Rises

The US-Iran conflict has re-escalated once again, with Iran striking the UAE and the United States retaliating with strikes on Iranian ships.

The two parties established a ceasefire on April 8 to assist in negotiations, which are still ongoing, but they seem to have degraded. Both sides still failed to agree with each other, as is usual– wars take years, not weeks, to bring to an end, and a cooperative stance from both sides is necessary. Currently, Iran has sent the United States a 14-point counterproposal aimed on ending the war, but Trump said that he would likely reject the ceasefire because of its lack of certain key points.

Since the ceasefire, Iran had not launched strikes on a fellow Gulf nation– until now. The escalation began yesterday, when Iran announced that they had hit a US Navy warship with two ballistic missiles near Jask Island– a claim that the United States CENTCOM later denied.

Then, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) jumped into the argument with a claim that Iran had launched two drones at an oil tanker belonging to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. According to the UAE, the tanker was not carrying oil and no one was injured, but they labeled the drone strike an act of "maritime piracy."

Hours later, their defense forces engaged with a barrage of Iranian attacks– a total of 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles, and four drones. Of these projectiles, at least one drone survived the UAE's defense systems, striking the Fujairah Petroleum Industries Zone. The explosion sparked a significant fire and sent black plumes into the sky above the emirate of Fujairah, in addition to drawing criticism over Iran's retaliation from nations all over the world.

Meanwhile, the United States has currently shifted their focus to guaranteeing the safety of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. They continue to impose a blockade on all ships heading towards or coming from Iranian ports, but some ships from other Gulf nations are being escorted by the US military. Trump has named the operation "Project Freedom", though its inherently dangerous nature makes each and every journey incredibly risky.

Yesterday, as the US Navy escorted two commercial vessels through the strait, they detected a barrage of Iranian missiles, which they were successfully able to intercept. Then, using the position of these missiles, they triangulated the position of and later destroyed seven small Iranian boats that had been patrolling the strait.

Nevertheless, these journeys are also incredibly expensive. Striking seven boats requires seven missiles, which can range in the single-digit millions in terms of pricing. Meanwhile, intercepting incoming drones also requires defense systems that can cost millions more for each drone interception.

Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Employees at Molson Coors get three free cases of beer each month, in addition to having access to beer and cider on location at certain brewery locations after a work day.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): We don’t need holy wars. What we need is tolerance and brotherhood and simple humanity. (Arlen Specter)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Scrupulous (adj, SKROO-pyuh-lus) - Scrupulous describes someone who is very careful about doing something correctly, or something marked by such carefulness. Scrupulous can also describe someone who is careful about doing what is honest and morally right.

In a Sentence: She was always scrupulous about her work.

Image credit to Reuters