UAE says responding to missiles, drone attacks from Iran

The United Arab Emirates said it responded to another Iranian missile barrage on Friday, hours after the U.S. said it traded fire with Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz, in the latest blows to a shaky month-old ceasefire.

The UAE’s Defense Ministry said three people were wounded after air defenses engaged two ballistic missiles and three drones launched by Iran. It was not clear if all were successfully intercepted. Authorities told people to stay away from any fallen debris.

The U.S. said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships and struck Iranian military facilities in the strait. Iran has mostly blocked the critical waterway for global energy since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, causing a global spike in fuel prices and rattling world markets.

U.S. President Donald Trump played down the exchange of fire on Thursday, calling the U.S. strikes a “love tap” in a phone call with ABC. But he reiterated threats to resume full-scale bombing if Iran doesn’t accept an agreement to reopen the strait and roll back its nuclear program.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said the U.S. strikes were a “clear violation” of the ceasefire.

The violence came as Washington awaited a response from Tehran in their diplomatic discussions seeking to end the war. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters he expects to hear from Iran later Friday.

“I hope it’s a serious offer," Rubio told reporters. "I really do.”