'Do not drop those bombs': Trump says Israel and Iran violated ceasefire
Israel says it will answer Iran's alleged ceasefire breach with force
Iran says it is 'fully committed to good neighbourliness' with Qatar
Iraq reopens its airspace after Iran-Israel truce announcement
Iran state TV says Israeli strike killed nuclear scientist
Oil prices fall after Iran attack on US airbase in Qatar
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Khaleej Times
33 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
How UAE is well-positioned for resilience as Hormuz tensions recede
After days of escalating Gulf tensions following US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, both Iran and Israel announced a ceasefire early today, easing fears of a full-fledged closure of the Strait of Hormuz. While Tehran's parliament had approved the option to block the vital waterway on June 22, pending approval by its Supreme National Security Council the recent truce and Iran's restraint signal that this dramatic move was never likely. But experts now say the UAE was never truly in the line of fire, and even if the worst had materialised, the country is among the best positioned in the region to absorb the shock. 'The recent US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites have dramatically heightened geopolitical tensions in the Gulf, placing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint, at the centre of global economic concern. Roughly 20 per cent of the world's daily oil supply, or about 17 million barrels per day, passes through this narrow waterway,' said Hamza Dweik, Head of Trading at Saxo Bank Mena. 'For the UAE, a temporary closure of the Strait would have immediate and multifaceted economic consequences, particularly in the areas of oil exports, imports, and inflation,' he added. However, analysts point out that the UAE's exposure is cushioned by both infrastructure and policy foresight. A major portion of its oil exports can bypass the Strait via the Habshan–Fujairah pipeline, which runs directly to the eastern seaboard. Ports like Fujairah and Khor Fakkan also lie outside the Strait, ensuring continued access to international shipping lanes. Combined with the country's liberalised fuel pricing model, strategic stockpiles, and sovereign wealth buffers, these factors greatly reduce the impact of short-term disruptions. The UAE exports around 3.5 million barrels of oil per day, with a significant portion transiting through the strait. While the Habshan–Fujairah pipeline offers an alternate route capable of transporting up to 1.8 million barrels a day, it doesn't fully offset the volume typically passing through Hormuz. 'On the import side, the UAE relies heavily on maritime routes for essential goods, including food, machinery, and construction materials. Disruptions would likely increase freight and insurance costs, delay shipments, and contribute to imported inflation,' Dweik said. Konstantin Vladimirovich Tserazov, former Senior Vice President at Otkritie Bank, noted that global shipping had already started adjusting in anticipation of conflict. 'Right now, ships are already avoiding the area. MarineTraffic data shows vessels taking long detours, adding days to voyages. The UAE imports 90 per cent of its food and consumer goods by sea. Longer shipping routes mean higher costs—and those get passed to consumers.' 'With Dubai's financial hub deeply tied to trade, foreign investors might pull back, hurting capital flows just as the UAE pushes its non-oil growth,' he added. Tserazov also flagged a less obvious risk: energy supply to power-hungry sectors like AI and data infrastructure. 'Data centres guzzle power, and that's a problem. The UAE is betting big on AI, expecting it to contribute 14 per cent to GDP by 2030. But AI needs data centres, and data centres need massive energy. Gas fuels 76.5 per cent of the UAE's electricity… If Hormuz closes, LNG shipments from Qatar (which also transit the strait) get cut off. Suddenly, keeping servers online competes with cooling homes and running factories.' Despite these risks, maritime experts say the UAE was already positioned for resilience. 'A closure or escalation in the Strait of Hormuz would significantly disrupt maritime operations connected to the UAE, with consequences spanning trade, logistics, insurance, and security,' said Capt. Dilip Goel, who leads unified maritime asset monitoring and control at AD Ports Group. 'Any disruption could affect up to $10–15 billion in monthly trade flows, depending on the severity and duration. UAE ports like Jebel Ali, Khalifa, and Mina Rashid… would see schedule disruptions, vessel bunching, and cascading delays across container, tanker, and bulk traffic.' Ports outside the strait, including Fujairah, the world's second-largest bunkering port, act as vital alternatives. Meanwhile, the UAE's strong financial position, with over $150 billion in reserves and nearly $1.5 trillion in sovereign wealth fund assets, offers enough cushion for short-term shocks. 'In short, while the UAE is better positioned than many Gulf nations to absorb and reroute, a prolonged closure of Hormuz would not just delay cargo, it would test the region's entire maritime security architecture, logistics resilience, and commercial adaptability,' Goel said. While the danger appears to have passed for now, experts agree the UAE's strategic foresight, from energy pipelines and diversified ports to strong capital reserves, will continue to offer a reliable shield against regional volatility.
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
GHF sends letter to UN chief requesting partnership through its aid delivery model
The head of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has sent a letter to the UN Secretary General requesting collaboration to deliver food to Palestinians in the war-torn coastal enclave. "The time has come to confront, without euphemism or delay, the structural failure of aid delivery in Gaza, and to course-correct decisively," Johnnie Moore, director of the GHF, said in the letter that was sent on Monday. Israel eased a months-long blockade on Gaza last month, but it has allowed only a limited amount of humanitarian aid into the enclave by way of the UN and the newly established GHF – a controversial US and Israeli-backed private organisation that is overhauling aid distribution. Mr Moore said the UN relies on "existing infrastructure", which has allowed for the "mass diversion, looting and the manipulation of humanitarian flows" by Hamas and other groups. The US and Israel have long accused Hamas of looting food and supplies meant for hungry Gazans. The GHF has founded sites around the enclave that are secured by a private security force meant to prevent looting. "The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has built and demonstrated an alternative model that is highly effective," he wrote, saying that the organisation has distributed more than 40 million meals. "Despite operating under grave threat, GHF has succeeded in surging emergency food aid directly to Palestinians in desperate need, bypassing intermediaries and restoring the the integrity of humanitarian action." Mr Moore called on the UN to engage "immediately and directly" with the GHF to deliver food without the use of "intermediaries, but through a model that has already proven its capacity to reach those in need". The UN human rights office reported on Tuesday that 500 people have been killed while trying to access aid at the GHF's secured sites, most of them by Israeli fire. Israel and the GHF have denied reports of violence. Mr Moore said a disinformation campaign has "sought to stop us from feeding people from the moment we started", adding that the UN has fallen victim to false reports. He wrote that the GHF has also been attacked by Hamas and other groups. This month, at least five people on a GHF bus carrying more than two dozen local Palestinians working with the initiative were killed and several injured. Mr Moore called on the UN to condemn attacks on humanitarian workers in Gaza and denounce the obstruction of aid by Hamas. US President Donald Trump 's administration has authorised $30 million to be given to the GHF, according to reports. A document reviewed by Reuters showed that the $30 million US Agency for International Development grant was authorised on Friday under a "priority directive" from the White House and State Department.
The National
4 hours ago
- The National
Early intelligence assessment finds US strikes did not destroy Iran nuclear sites, report says
An early US intelligence assessment has found that the weekend strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites did not destroy them, according to reports. The strikes, which hit the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan sites, failed to destroy the core components of Iran''s nuclear programme and probably only set it back by months, CNN and AP said on Tuesday, quoting sources. The assessment was carried out by the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's intelligence arm, and is based on a battle-damage assessment conducted by US Central Command after the strikes. CNN reported that two sources said Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium had not been destroyed, and that the centrifuges are largely 'intact". The report noted, however, that analysis was continuing and could change as more intelligence becomes available. The White House denied the veracity of the "alleged assessment" and said it had been leaked by "an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community". US President Donald Trump, speaking after the strikes, called them a "spectacular military success" that destroyed Iran's nuclear enrichment capabilities. "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," he said in a national address on Saturday night. Speaking at the Pentagon the next day, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US had 'devastated' Iran's nuclear programme, although the strikes were "intentionally limited". Iranian state media, however, said that all three sites had been evacuated and their contents moved before the bombings. Satellite imagery from the days ahead of the US strikes showed some unusual activity near the Fordow site. Sixteen lorries could be seen near the site's tunnel entrance before apparently moving away a day later, according to satellite imagery firm Maxar. New lorries and several bulldozers appeared close to the main entrance by Friday, with one truck very close to the main tunnel entrance, Maxar said.
