Conflict appears to have reached painful stalemate, but leaders in Tehran and Washington seem to think victory is near
The month-old ceasefire between Iran and the US appeared to be in new peril on Tuesday with a fresh barrage of Iranian missiles reported to have targeted the United Arab Emirates as US naval forces pressed ahead with efforts to reopen the strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian strike on the UAE was the second in 48 hours, and came shortly after the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, insisted the shaky truce which has paused the war in the Middle East was intact, despite the new increase in violence.
On Monday, the US military said it had destroyed six Iranian small boats, as well as cruise missiles and drones, after Donald Trump sent warships to “guide” stranded tankers through the strait in a campaign he called “Project Freedom”.
Hegseth told a press conference on Tuesday the operation to encourage commercial ships to transit the strait was temporary and the truce was not over.
