US-Iran conflict: Gargash rejects visa, aid rumours as Gulf warning grows

Day 167: US–Iran tension escalates: Trump says no talks planned; UAE detects Iranian missiles

Day 166: Israel strikes Lebanon as Iran-US tensions rise; Oman holds Hormuz talks

Day 165: US-Iran tensions rise over Trump’s Hormuz claim

Day 164: Iran demands faster US exit from Middle East

Day 163: 2 ADNOC vessels attacked in Hormuz; no injuries

Day 162: Trump says US has ‘total control’ of Strait of Hormuz

Day 161: Tehran: Hormuz stays shut as US-Iran diplomacy push continues

Day 160: Tehran reshuffles military

Day 159: Netanyahu rejects Gaza plan

Day 158: Trump says Iran can’t ‘go on much longer’

Day 157: Iran says Oman deal alone won’t reopen Hormuz

The UAE has ordered a halt to all activities, trade exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice, according to the Strategic Communications Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The directive covers activities and commercial exchanges with Iran, as well as financial transactions, with further details expected from the authorities.

The UAE has strongly condemned Israeli raids on the Abu Al Duhur Military Airbase in Syria’s Idlib Governorate, reaffirming its rejection of any violation of Syria’s sovereignty or threats to its security and stability.

In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said continued Israeli attacks on Syrian territory constitute a “flagrant violation” of international law and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between Syria and Israel.

The ministry stressed that Israel is obliged to uphold the agreement.

The UAE reaffirmed its support for Syria’s stability and territorial integrity, expressing solidarity with the Syrian people and backing efforts to achieve security, peace, dignity, peaceful coexistence and development.

The UAE called on the international community to take immediate steps to halt repeated attacks on Syrian territory and prevent further escalation.

It warned that actions that heighten regional tensions could threaten regional and international peace and security.

Turkey rejected on Wednesday Israeli allegations that it posed a threat by preparing to send troops to a base in Syria, which was hit in a strike that the United States blamed on Israel.

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that no talks with Iran are underway and none are scheduled, as he posted a map showing the Strait of Hormuz as a new American territory in a fresh jibe at Tehran.

Trump has been pressing his threat to claim sovereignty over the crucial energy waterway as the nearly six-month-old Iran war grinds on with little sign of resolution.

Trump's envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner had said on Monday that the United States and Iran were having "very positive and active conversations", but the president denied that was the case.

"There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.

Britain's annual inflation rate climbed in July in line with analysts' expectations, official data showed Wednesday, driven by higher energy bills.

The Consumer Prices Index rose 2.9 percent in the 12 months to July, up from 2.6 percent in June, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.

The rise was spurred by a 13 percent hike in the price cap on household energy bills that took effect last month, a consequence of the ongoing US-Iran war.

The ONS called it "the largest rise in gas prices for almost four years".

Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to ease cost-of-living pressures, unveiling measures such as a tax cut on household electricity prices and a cap on bus fares.

"Iran war inflation continues to impact prices here at home, but Britain's economy is resilient," finance minister John Healey said in response to the latest figures.

"There is more to do to restore hope and build a stronger economy where prosperity is shared more fairly across Britain" he added.

Analysts expect inflation to rise towards the end of the year as higher energy costs feed through to bills further, with little signs of a deal to end the Middle East war.

Iran's armed forces on Wednesday warned Gulf countries against assisting the US military, saying it would be tantamount to joining American military operations.

"We wish to warn that any assistance or facilitation provided to the aggressor US military amounts to participation in the US military operation," armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi said, according to Iran's Mehr news agency.

War between Iran and the United States broke out on February 28 after US-Israeli attacks on the Islamic republic, which retaliated with missile and drone strikes including on US bases across the region.

"It seems unlikely that such a large number of military aircraft, particularly refuelling aircraft could be present at regional bases without knowledge of host countries," said Abdollahi.

"The countries bordering the Arabian Gulf, which have issued various statements saying they would not allow the United States to use their territory against Iran, should know that we are fully aware of the situation."

The warning comes as the USS George Washington aircraft carrier is being redeployed to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln following reports of deteriorating living conditions for its crew.

The UAE is focused on navigating regional developments and preparing for what comes next rather than being distracted by false claims, Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, said on Wednesday, dismissing reports about cancelling workers’ residency visas and providing financial facilities to Iran.

Gargash said some platforms were circulating false information about the UAE as part of what he described as desperate media campaigns, adding that the country’s response was to focus on tangible results.

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