What UAE residents need to know today: US-Iran talks, flight updates and travel advisories this evening

Diplomatic efforts to end the US-Iran standoff picked up pace on Tuesday, even as a fresh incident in the Strait of Hormuz kept nerves on edge. For UAE residents, flights at the country's main hubs are running largely as normal, though several regional routes remain cancelled. Here's a quick rundown of where things stand this evening, August 4.

Qatar, which is mediating between Washington and Tehran, said its focus is on preventing further escalation, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and getting diplomacy back on track. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said the immediate goal is to "reopen the door for diplomacy" between the two sides. No direct US-Iran talks are planned for now, he noted, with negotiations centred on a short-term resolution that would let the wider mediation process resume.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC there is a chance of a deal with Iran to reopen the strait "today or tomorrow", a move he said would stabilize energy prices. Any agreement, he added, would mean "freedom of movement" through the waterway rather than an Iranian toll on shipping.

Tehran, meanwhile, is pursuing its own track. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran is in talks with Oman to replace the strait's separate northern and southern shipping lanes with a single two-way corridor. According to Iranian media, no other country is involved, an arrangement that would sideline the US. Oman has neither confirmed nor denied the talks.

Not all the signals were soft. Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, warned that Iran "will not stand idly by" against unauthorised routes through Hormuz, accusing Washington of violating a June memorandum of understanding. His warning follows last month's US naval blockade, under which US Central Command says it has redirected 44 commercial vessels, disabled two and boarded two. President Masoud Pezeshkian struck a calmer note, saying Tehran does not want a wider war but will defend its borders if threatened.

Overnight, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a cargo vessel was hit by an "unknown projectile" about 20 nautical miles northeast of Al Khasab, Oman, in an incident it classified as an attack. British maritime security firm Vanguard Tech identified the ship as the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier MINOAN PIONEER, struck in the engine room while sailing northbound at 2am. A fire broke out on board, and while the crew battles the blaze, the third engineer is reported missing.

Even so, shipping traffic through Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb held steady at the start of the week, Reuters reported, citing maritime tracker Kpler.

Air travel across the UAE remains largely operational, but expect cancellations and last-minute changes on regional routes.

Emirates has cancelled flights from Dubai to Dammam, Bahrain and Kuwait. Etihad's Abu Dhabi to Kuwait services are suspended indefinitely, with its Bahrain flights also cancelled. flydubai has scrapped its Dubai to Bahrain service FZ027, while Air Arabia continues to suspend several routes from Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Doha and Abha. Qatar Airways has paused flights to Bahrain, Erbil and Kuwait until August 7, and Oman Air is reporting delays and cancellations across parts of its network.

Among international carriers, Lufthansa Group has suspended Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other Gulf flights until October 24. Air France's Dubai and Beirut services are grounded until August 18. Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Air Canada, Finnair and ITA Airways have all paused Dubai flights until further notice. Turkish Airlines has resumed Dubai and Abu Dhabi services, though its Iran flights stay suspended, and British Airways is offering flexible rebooking on eligible Middle East bookings through October 31.

On advisories, the EU's aviation safety agency EASA has extended its bulletin telling EU airlines not to operate in the airspace of the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, plus parts of the Gulf of Oman, until August 31. The US State Department's worldwide caution advisory remains in effect, and the UK Foreign Office is urging travellers to monitor official updates.

Authorities and airlines continue to monitor developments and will issue further updates if conditions change.