US-Iran conflict: What UAE residents need to know this evening, August 25

Dubai: The US-Iran war entered another tense phase on Tuesday, with Washington stepping up economic pressure on Tehran, fresh threats to shipping around the Strait of Hormuz and some UAE flights continuing to face cancellations and delays.

For UAE residents, the immediate impact ranges from changing flight schedules to continuing uncertainty around one of the world's most important shipping routes. The UAE, meanwhile, has renewed its call for Iran to work with GCC countries to de-escalate tensions and seek a political solution.

Here are the key developments to follow this afternoon and evening.

Washington vows ‘economic asphyxiation’

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has laid out plans for what he described as the “economic asphyxiation” of Iran, expanding Washington’s secondary sanctions threats and warning countries against continuing economic ties that undermine the campaign.

The measures represent a further escalation of economic pressure on Tehran as the war continues.

Iran’s rial hits record low

Iran’s currency has plunged to a record low on the open market as Washington moves ahead with a new wave of sanctions aimed at further isolating Tehran.

The rial fell to 2.02 million rials against the US dollar on the open market, compared with an official Central Bank exchange rate of about 1.5 million rials per dollar.

China says it will ‘safeguard own interests’

China has pushed back against Washington’s latest sanctions campaign, which includes penalties against certain Chinese entities and expanded threats of secondary sanctions.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Beijing “firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions” and would take measures to safeguard its rights and interests.

Gargash: Iran should work with GCC states

Iran must work with Gulf Arab countries to de-escalate tensions and seek a political way out of the war instead of targeting them, Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, said.

Gargash said the US-Iran confrontation had entered a new phase characterised by mounting economic pressure and efforts to end attempts to dominate the Strait of Hormuz.

He said Iran’s attacks against GCC countries had been a “grave strategic miscalculation” that increased Tehran’s isolation and weakened its position.

“The path out of this war does not lie in targeting the GCC countries, but in working with them to create the conditions for de-escalation and to seek a political way out of the war,” Gargash said.

UAE travellers continue to face some disruption on Tuesday, with a number of flights cancelled or delayed amid regional tensions.

Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Air Arabia are largely operating scheduled services, although cancellations and delays continue on some routes. Several international airlines also remain off some UAE routes or are operating reduced schedules.

Passengers are advised to check their flight status directly with their airline before heading to the airport, as schedules can change at short notice.

Officials describe Tehran talks as ‘highly positive’

A Pakistani delegation led by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir left Tehran on Tuesday after talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials.

Discussions focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and reviving stalled negotiations to end the Iran-US conflict.

Pakistan has maintained contacts with both Washington and Tehran as it seeks to mediate between the two sides.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who accompanied Munir, described the meeting with Pezeshkian as “very positive and productive”.

Pezeshkian warns US over ‘coercion and bullying’

Pezeshkian told Munir that Washington would need to change its approach towards Tehran for diplomacy to succeed.

The Iranian president said the US should adhere to its commitments under international law and warned that relying on “coercion and bullying” would complicate diplomatic efforts.

One-third of vessels on Iran blacklist already attacked

At least 14 of 45 vessels threatened by Iran with future restrictions have already been damaged in incidents in or around the Strait of Hormuz, according to an AFP analysis of International Maritime Organization data.

Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority, created in May to oversee the waterway, published a list on Sunday of vessels it said could face fines, seizure or confiscation during future passages for allegedly violating Iranian transit rules.

Iran has sought to impose its own shipping corridor through the northern part of the strait since the conflict began.

Almost all of the 14 previously affected vessels were hit off Oman along a US-backed transit route that Iran does not recognise.

Unknown projectile hits oil tanker off Oman

An oil tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile about nine nautical miles northeast of Ash Shishah, Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.

The impact damaged the vessel’s engine room and reportedly disabled the tanker while it was transiting the US-protected shipping lane.

The crew was reported safe. The extent of any environmental impact was not immediately known.

The incident adds to a series of attacks involving commercial shipping off Oman and around the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict.

68 maritime incidents, 20 killed

The Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters have emerged as one of the main fronts of the six-month conflict.

The International Maritime Organization has confirmed 68 incidents in the Gulf and neighbouring waters — an average of roughly one every 2.6 days.

At least 20 seafarers or port workers have been killed, 35 wounded and one remains missing.

About half of the incidents involved tankers, while container ships accounted for around 20 per cent and bulk carriers 15 per cent.

UKMTO has classified 47 of the incidents as attacks.

Liberia-flagged vessels have been involved in the highest number of incidents, at 13, followed by Panama and the Marshall Islands with 10 each.

US President Donald Trump has called on Tehran to stop executing people accused of involvement in mass protests that took place before the war.

Trump said the executions had reached levels “not seen before” and described the situation as a humanitarian crisis.

“The failing Islamic Republic of Iran is not paying large segments of their military, while at the same time killing protesters, even when they are not protesting, at levels not seen before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He said the executions “must be stopped, NOW”.

The Strait of Hormuz remains the most immediate regional issue to monitor, particularly after another commercial vessel was struck off Oman and Iran threatened penalties against ships it says have violated its transit rules.

Residents should also watch for:

With economic pressure on Tehran intensifying and the Strait of Hormuz remaining a major point of confrontation, diplomatic efforts involving Gulf states and Pakistan will be closely watched for signs of a possible path towards de-escalation.