President Donald Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz "new US territory" in a social media post on Tuesday, asserting that a naval blockade remains in effect while water mines have been cleared to allow shipping. The statement comes amid ongoing military tensions and a 60-day negotiating period between the U.S. and Iran that ended this week without a formal peace agreement. Data from shipping analytics firm Kpler indicated that only ten vessels passed through the waterway on Monday, a decline from the 130 to 140 daily transits recorded before the conflict.
The regional conflict expanded Tuesday as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported that two ballistic missiles targeted maritime traffic within its territorial and adjacent waters. The UAE Ministry of Defense attributed the launches to Iran and subsequently imposed an indefinite trade embargo, halting all commercial and financial transactions with Tehran. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, rejected the UAE's claims, characterizing the incident as a "false flag operation."
In Syria, state media reported that Israel conducted eight airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur Airbase near Aleppo on Tuesday, targeting the runway and storage facilities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated the strikes were a response to the potential deployment of Turkish troops at the base, which it called a threat to security. U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack described the strikes as an "unnecessary escalation," while Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani called for a cessation of the attacks.
Inside the U.S. government, officials offered differing assessments of military readiness. U.S. Under Secretary of War Michael Duffey stated that the military is working to increase production of long-range missiles and interceptors to address a dwindling stockpile, attributing the shortage to the previous administration. President Trump maintained that the military possesses "massive amounts" of munitions. Meanwhile, U.S. Special Envoy Jared Kushner reported that Iran has shown no interest in a deal that aligns with the administration’s requirements.
The conflict specifically impacts residents and businesses in the UAE, who faced missile alerts on Tuesday and now contend with a total trade embargo. The halt of all commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran ends a significant regional trade relationship, affecting small-business owners and logistics firms operating between the two nations. Additionally, the U.S. military’s reported focus on ramping up production of munitions suggests a prolonged demand for defense industrial output, involving multi-billion dollar deals with private contractors to replenish stocks of long-range missiles.
Further knock-on effects include a deteriorating relationship between the U.S. and Oman, as regional officials report that President Trump threatened military action if Oman interferes with U.S. interests in the strait. The collapse of the 60-day negotiating window means that previous hopes for a permanent deal addressing Iran’s nuclear capabilities remain stalled. Iranian officials have stated the waterway will not fully reopen until the U.S. lifts maritime blockades and sanctions and releases frozen assets. No further talks are currently scheduled between Washington and Tehran.