The UAE Foreign Ministry called the attacks a “flagrant violation” of the United Nations’ principles of freedom of navigation and accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps of using the strait for economic coercion.

“Targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents acts of piracy by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, and constitutes a direct threat to the stability of the region, its peoples, and global energy security,” the ministry said.

Shipping traffic falls sharply

Transit through the Strait of Hormuz appeared to have nearly stopped on Friday following the latest attacks.

According to ship-tracking company Kpler, nine vessels crossed the waterway on Thursday, up from five on Wednesday but below the August daily average of 12.

No crossings were visible early on Friday, although some ships may have travelled with their transponders switched off. Before the war began in February, more than 130 ships crossed the strait each day.

After the June ceasefire collapsed, Iran resumed attacks on ships it accused of crossing the strait without permission.

Tehran has said it will not reopen the strait until its conditions are met, including the removal of economic sanctions and the release of frozen Iranian assets.

US threatens greater economic pressure

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the American military could maintain its naval presence in the region and enforce the blockade of Iran indefinitely.

“Indefinitely the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we’ll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we’ll continue to,” Hegseth told reporters during a visit to Panama.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington planned to inflict further financial damage on Iran, with more measures expected to be announced next week.

“Watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country,” Bessent told Newsmax.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to escalate military strikes against Iran. Earlier this week, however, he suggested that he would rely on economic measures rather than military action.

Why it matters for India

India has also faced disruptions to LNG supplies from Qatar, with Petronet LNG saying this week that there was still no clarity on September shipments. The company said Qatar’s force majeure had affected 56 cargoes so far, while India has been looking to suppliers including the US, Oman, Nigeria and Angola to bridge the gap.