Iranian Ship Attacks Frustrate Gulf Nations as U.S. Holds Fire --- U.A.E. says Tehran hit 7 of its ships this month as Trump raises economic heat

“DUBAI -- Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz are piling up without a U.S. military response, raising the risks of crossing the strategic waterway and frustrating some Arab allies who worry the U.S. doesn't have a strategy to wind down the conflict.

 

Iran fired two ballistic missiles toward the strait on Tuesday, triggering air defenses in the United Arab Emirates, according to that country's Ministry of Defense, which said the missiles were targeting maritime traffic but fell into the sea.

 

Earlier Tuesday, an Iranian attack hit the engine room of a bulk carrier in the strait east of Oman, leaving the chief engineer dead, maritime security firms said.

 

The U.A.E. said Iran has attacked seven of its ships this month. So far, August accounts for 20% of all attacks on shipping in the war, which is approaching its six-month mark.

 

Abu Dhabi halted trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Tehran in light of regional escalations, U.A.E. foreign-ministry spokeswoman Afra Al Hameli said on X on Tuesday.

 

U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, hasn't announced retaliatory strikes on targets in Iran since late July. The U.S. has continued to prevent ships from visiting Iranian ports, however, including firing Hellfire missiles to stop vessels trying to breach its blockade.

 

The restraint reflects President Trump's current strategy to back off military action in favor of tightening economic pressure on Tehran.

 

Earlier in the summer, the U.S. repeatedly launched punishing strikes after Iran attacked ships, prompting Iran to lob missiles and drones across the Persian Gulf. Until Tuesday, the U.A.E.'s air defenses hadn't been triggered since mid-July. The skirmishes forced the U.S. and their regional allies to use more of their shrinking supply of defensive interceptors and carried high risks to Gulf energy infrastructure.

 

The White House's change in approach ended a significant escalation in fighting. But it also hasn't persuaded Iran to back down and is raising concerns in the region of an extended throttling of Hormuz amid a drawn-out standoff.

 

The U.S.'s Arab allies feel caught in the middle, Gulf officials said. While they don't want to see a resumption of higher-intensity conflict, they believe the lack of U.S. response is encouraging Iran to increase its attacks.

 

Gulf states think Iran ultimately will respond militarily to rising economic pressure, bringing the conflict back to a boil regardless, the officials said.

 

Last month, the U.S. surged forces to the Middle East to give Trump more options to expand the war, and Trump warned that the U.S. would bomb one bridge or power plant every time Iran hits a ship in the strait. But Trump backed off the military option in favor of economic pressure.

 

Trump's top aides have argued recently that choking off Iran's ability to trade with the world could be more effective than military or diplomatic efforts.

 

The administration is betting the combination of tough sanctions and the Navy's blockade will push Iran's spiraling economy into free fall and force concessions.

 

The U.S. military has redirected 64 commercial vessels, disabled three, and boarded two to enforce its blockade of Iranian ports since it was reimposed in July.

 

Iran's attacks on ships have killed a number of crew members and deterred crossings, but many haven't done the sort of catastrophic damage that would force a military response. The U.S. military said it continues to help ships transit the strait, reducing the pressure on world energy markets.

 

Global benchmark Brent crude oil futures were little changed on Tuesday at $91 a barrel, well off their highs from earlier in the war but still elevated.

 

Meanwhile, Iran has refused to back down and is insisting on controlling ship traffic through Hormuz.

 

The latest attack marks the 14th vessel hit in August near the Hormuz or the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula that links the Red Sea to global markets, according to maritime-risk company Marisks.

 

No one claimed responsibility for the latest attack. But it shows the risks for ships operating in or close to Omani waters in lanes the U.S. said it has cleared of mines, angering Iran, which wants ships to use the northern route administered by Tehran and close to its coast.

 

"The threat is not limited to superficial damage or coercive signaling but now carries a direct and substantial risk to seafarers," said Dimitris Maniatis, Marisks's founder and chief executive.

 

There have been 70 attacks on commercial vessels transiting the strait and the Bab al-Mandeb during the war, causing 24 deaths and 45 injuries, according to ship tracker Kpler.

 

Ships continue to ply the strait, though in much lower volumes than in June and July, when a ceasefire prevailed for part of the two months. There were 10 crossings on Monday compared with an average of 15 a day this month, Kpler said.

 

Ships are mostly transiting the southern route with their transponders turned off or moving through the northern route administered by Iran. Only two out of the 255 crossings this month have openly used the U.S.-backed route along Oman's coast.” [1]

 

1. Iranian Ship Attacks Frustrate Gulf Nations as U.S. Holds Fire --- U.A.E. says Tehran hit 7 of its ships this month as Trump raises economic heat. Said, Summer; Feng, Rebecca; Holliday, Shelby.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 19 Aug 2026: A1.