US-Iran conflict: What UAE residents need to know today, Sept. 18

The US-Iran war enters another potentially decisive phase, with US President Donald Trump saying Tehran wants a deal but is “not ready” to accept Washington’s terms.

On Friday (Sept. 18) Iran state news agency IRNA reported they struck and "detained" the Togo-flagged oil tanker M/T Trend for attempting "illegal passage" through the Strait of Hormuz.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed the "security incident" 16 nautical miles (29.6 km) northeast of Khasab, Oman, without providing details.

At the same time, Saudi Arabia is repairing a key oil pipeline hit in drone attacks, commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains sharply reduced, and Washington is preparing talks with Gulf leaders on the war’s possible endgame.

For UAE residents, the immediate issues remain flight operations, oil prices, shipping, regional security and the diplomatic push to end the conflict. 

Gulf News’ live coverage also points to a potentially important diplomatic week ahead, with Iranian leaders allowed to attend the UN General Assembly in New York.

What to know today:

Trump said Iran wants to reach an agreement with Washington but is not yet prepared to accept the terms he considers necessary. “Iran wants to make a deal; they're not ready, in my opinion.”

Trump also said the US was “hopefully toward the end” of the war and claimed he had communicated directly with Iranian officials. Tehran has not publicly confirmed the details of the alleged contact.

The contrasting messages — an apparent opening for diplomacy alongside warnings of further military action — underline the uncertainty surrounding the next phase of the conflict.

Anxiety over the attack that disabled Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline has eased after indications that repairs are progressing. US and Asian stocks have recovered.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the disruption was expected to last “days”, rather than representing a prolonged shutdown. The pipeline carries crude from Saudi Arabia’s eastern oil-producing region to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, providing an alternative route that reduces dependence on the Strait of Hormuz.

Reports of repairs helped calm oil markets and contributed to a relief rally on Wall Street. The wider energy picture, however, remains fragile as commercial traffic through Hormuz is still heavily disrupted.

Trump is expected to meet leaders or foreign ministers from the six Gulf Cooperation Council states — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman — in New York during the UN General Assembly next week.

The State Department sent initial invitations on Wednesday, Axios reported. For Gulf governments, the discussions could provide a direct channel to raise concerns over:

• attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure;

• disruption to shipping through Hormuz;

• threats from Iran-aligned groups;

• aviation and airspace risks;

• oil-market volatility; and

• arrangements for regional security after the war.

The UAE is continuing to emphasise both security and diplomacy. Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, said the UAE would combine deterrence and defence of its sovereignty with dialogue with Iran.

Gargash said the UAE’s approach is based on managing the immediate crisis while pursuing longer-term regional diplomacy and economic development.

The comments follow a meeting between Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.

Oil prices

As of Friday (Sept. 18) morning in Tokyo:

• Brent: about $103.7 a barrel

• WTI: about $100.9

• Murban: about $121, down 1.95%

Oil had approached $110 earlier in the week. Saudi Arabia has also been offering additional crude cargoes to Asian refiners through ship-to-ship transfers outside the Gulf, near Oman’s Sohar port, helping reduce immediate supply fears.

Hormuz remains one of the central pressure points in the war. Some vessels were reportedly operating with their automatic identification systems switched off.

For the UAE, this matters because the country sits close to one of the world’s most important energy and shipping chokepoints.

A prolonged disruption could affect:

• tanker movements;

• marine insurance;

• freight rates;

• fuel costs;

• imported goods;

• port operations; and

• regional supply chains.

Saudi authorities said one person was killed and two injured after debris from an intercepted drone fell in Taif. The Saudi Civil Defence said the drone had been launched by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement.

The dead person was a Yemeni resident, while a Saudi woman and a Pakistani resident were injured; the latter was reported to be in critical condition. Buildings and vehicles were also damaged.

The US Treasury has sanctioned Iranian cryptocurrency exchange BitBank, accusing it of moving hundreds of millions of dollars to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and processing payments connected with shipping access through Hormuz. The move is significant for the region because the US is increasingly targeting alternative financial channels that Washington says Tehran uses to circumvent sanctions.

Russia and China vetoed a US-backed UN Security Council proposal to continue the work of UN experts monitoring sanctions on Iran. The sanctions themselves remain in effect.

They include measures involving Iranian assets, arms transfers and ballistic-missile-related activity. The dispute highlights the widening diplomatic divide over how Iran should be dealt with at the UN, even as Washington and Tehran appear to be exploring possible diplomatic channels.

The immediate picture is one of cautious market relief but continuing security risk.

• Flights: UAE airports remain open, but travellers should check flight status before departure as airlines adjust routes in response to evolving airspace risk.

• Oil: Brent and WTI have retreated from recent highs, but remain above $100.

• Fuel: A sustained Hormuz disruption could continue putting upward pressure on transport and logistics costs.

• Shipping: Very low commercial traffic through Hormuz remains a major concern.

• Saudi security: The Taif drone incident shows that the regional threat extends beyond energy infrastructure.

• Diplomacy: Trump’s comments suggest a possible diplomatic track, but he has simultaneously warned of further military action.

• Gulf diplomacy: Trump’s planned talks with GCC leaders could provide a channel for discussing the war’s endgame.

• UN diplomacy: Iran’s participation in next week’s General Assembly creates another potential channel for direct or indirect diplomacy.

• UAE position: Abu Dhabi continues to stress both deterrence and dialogue with Tehran.

• Main risk: A new attack on Gulf energy infrastructure or a further closure of Hormuz could quickly reverse the recent easing in oil markets.

The biggest diplomatic event to watch is UN General Assembly High-Level Week in New York, which begins next week. The UN says the General Debate will run from September 22-26 and September 28, bringing heads of state and senior officials from around the world to New York.

Key upcoming dates

• Sept. 22: UN General Debate begins.

• Sept. 23: High-level meetings on development and climate action.

• Sept. 24: High-level meeting on sea-level rise.

• Sept. 25: High-level meeting on pandemic prevention and preparedness.

• Sept. 28: General Debate resumes and a high-level meeting marks the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration.

• Sept. 29: UN meeting on the international effort to eliminate nuclear weapons.

For the Iran crisis, however, the General Debate is the key diplomatic stage. The US has agreed to allow Iran’s core delegation to attend, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to US officials. The State Department said the decision was consistent with US obligations as host country.

That creates an unusual situation: senior Iranian officials could be in New York while the US and Iran remain at war.

The conflict has not entered a settled endgame.

The combination of Trump’s diplomatic signals, Gulf consultations and Iran’s UN attendance creates potential diplomatic openings, while the continuing attacks, disrupted shipping and uncertain aviation environment mean the region remains exposed to fast-evolving developments.