Iran threatened to hold the United Arab Emirates 'to account' on Wednesday over what it called 'unforgivable' collusion with Israel, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed he made a secret wartime visit to the Gulf state. The warning from Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, reported by ISNA news agency, escalates a regional crisis already inflamed by Iran's tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz and a stalled US Senate effort to end American involvement in the war.
The UAE foreign ministry flatly denied the visit ever happened. It called Netanyahu's claims 'baseless' and insisted all ties with Israel are conducted openly under the Abraham Accords. But Reuters reported the alleged meeting took place in the city of Al-Ain and lasted several hours.
The contradiction left diplomats scrambling. Araghchi was unmoved by the denial. He said Netanyahu had confirmed what Iranian intelligence already knew about regional cooperation with Israel.
Countries that engage with Israel in hostilities toward Tehran are making 'a foolish gamble,' he warned. The language was deliberate. It was not diplomatic.
It was a threat. "After this war ends, there will be no place for retreat," an Iranian army spokesperson said, according to ISNA. The spokesperson added that supervision of the Strait of Hormuz could generate twice as much revenue as Iran's oil income. The regime is signaling it intends to lock in wartime territorial and economic gains permanently.
What this actually means for your family. Global shipping costs have already spiked 18 percent since Iran began harassing vessels in the strait, according to maritime insurance data reviewed by Reuters. A fifth of the world's oil passes through that tight spot.
Every delay, every insurance premium hike, lands on consumers at the gas pump and in higher prices for goods shipped from Asia. The policy says one thing. The reality says another.
In Washington, the Senate rejected yet another Democratic resolution to end American involvement in the Iran war. The vote was 49-50. It was the seventh failed attempt since the conflict began in late February.
Three Republicans crossed the aisle: Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, and Susan Collins. Murkowski cited the War Powers Act, arguing US military involvement continues without proper congressional authorization. Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, accused Republicans of enabling President Donald Trump's actions and avoiding accountability.
The Trump administration countered that a ceasefire means the legal requirement for congressional approval no longer applies. The outcome was predictable. But the narrow margin revealed cracks in Republican unity that could widen if the war drags into summer.
Trump himself was in China for talks expected to include the Iran conflict. Before departing, he told reporters at the White House that his top priority is stopping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. "I think about one thing: we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That's all," he said.
Vice President JD Vance, in a separate briefing, framed the negotiations around Trump's "red line" — a demand for protections ensuring Iran never becomes a nuclear power. Then Trump said something that ricocheted through Washington. "I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody," he said, when asked whether rising costs from the war were influencing his push for a peace deal.
The quote was jarring. Critics seized on it immediately. Supporters called it taken out of context.
Either way, it exposed the distance between the White House and families watching fuel prices climb. Both sides claim victory. Here are the numbers.
Iran has cut deals with Iraq and Pakistan to ship oil and liquefied natural gas from the Strait of Hormuz region, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The agreements tighten Tehran's grip on the world's most critical energy chokepoint. An Iranian army spokesperson said the revenue from supervising the strait could double the country's oil income.
That claim is impossible to verify independently. But the strategic intent is clear: Iran is building an economic architecture that outlasts any ceasefire. South Korea is not waiting for verification. "There may still be a possibility of another actor besides Iran, but common sense suggests it is not high.
There were no pirates nearby," the official said. Seoul has dispatched a technical investigation team to Dubai and warned of unspecified diplomatic retaliatory measures once responsibility is officially confirmed. The human toll keeps mounting far from the strait.
Israeli strikes overnight targeted several towns in southern Lebanon, injuring at least nine people in the Zibqin area, including four women, according to the Middle East Eye. More raids hit Aitit, al-Mansouri, al-Haniya, al-Qulayla, and areas along the Litani River. Hezbollah claimed three separate attacks on Israeli troops and military vehicles in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese authorities say more than 2,800 people, including at least 200 children, have been killed since March. Aid groups estimate even higher casualties. Lebanon and Israel are expected to begin new peace talks in Washington as a fragile ceasefire approaches its expiry.
The ceasefire began on April 17. Israel has continued near-daily attacks in Lebanon since then, the outlet reported. The talks are a lifeline.
Nobody expects them to be easy. Inside Iran, a rare moment of relief. Prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh was released from Evin Prison more than a month after being detained in Tehran.
Rights groups said she was freed on bail or temporary custody. Sotoudeh is known for defending activists, opposition figures, and women prosecuted over compulsory headscarf laws. Her husband, Reza Khandan, has also been imprisoned.
Her release came as Trump arrived in China. The timing may be coincidental. No such relief for a British family in East Sussex.
Lindsay Foreman and Craig Foreman, both 53, were arrested in Iran in January 2025 during a round-the-world motorcycle trip. They are being held in Evin Prison after being sentenced to 10 years on espionage charges, which they deny. Their son, Joe Bennett, said the family has lost all contact with them. "Craig told us that they might have to stop eating if their calls were taken away," Bennett said. "I have not spoken to my mum for over a week now.
The family's terror is a window into how Iran uses detained foreigners as leverage. The pattern is decades old. The Foremans are now caught in it.
Why It Matters: The UAE-Iran confrontation over Netanyahu's alleged visit transforms a diplomatic spat into a potential flashpoint. If Iran acts on its threat to hold the Emirates "to account," the economic fallout could ripple through global energy markets already strained by Strait of Hormuz disruptions. A miscalculation in the Gulf would draw in the United States, which maintains a major air base in the UAE, and complicate Trump's stated goal of a nuclear deal with Tehran.
Key Takeaways: - Iran's foreign minister threatened to hold the UAE accountable for alleged collusion with Israel, calling it an unforgivable and foolish gamble. - Iran is cementing economic control over the Strait of Hormuz through oil and gas shipping deals with Iraq and Pakistan. What comes next is a convergence of deadlines. The fragile Lebanon-Israel ceasefire is approaching expiry, with new peace talks expected in Washington.
South Korea is poised to announce diplomatic retaliation once its investigation into the May 4 cargo ship attack concludes. And Trump's negotiations with China — and indirectly with Iran — will test whether his "red line" on nuclear weapons can produce a deal before the Strait of Hormuz crisis triggers a wider confrontation. The next two weeks will reveal whether the region steps back from the brink or stumbles over it.
Key Takeaways
— Iran's foreign minister threatened to hold the UAE accountable for alleged collusion with Israel, calling it an unforgivable and foolish gamble.
— The UAE denied Netanyahu's claim of a secret visit, but Reuters reported the meeting took place in Al-Ain and lasted hours.
— The US Senate rejected a seventh Democratic resolution to end American involvement in the Iran war, with a narrow 49-50 vote.
— Iran is cementing economic control over the Strait of Hormuz through oil and gas shipping deals with Iraq and Pakistan.
Source: The Independent
