Iran denies striking UAE as it comes under attack with drones: Updates

Iran has tonight denied striking the UAE, adding that any retaliation will be met with a ‘crushing response.’

In a statement carried by Iranian media, a spokesperson for the IRGC said: ‘The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have not carried out any missile or drone operations against the UAE in the past few days.’

It added that if the UAE decided to take military action, Iran will meet this with a ‘crushing and regretful response.’

The UAE has declared it is responding to a missile threat from Iran as the country’s air defence systems are activated.

In a social media post, authorities said: ‘The UAE’s air defenses are currently dealing with missile and drone attacks originating from Iran.

‘The Ministry of Defense confirms that the sounds heard in scattered areas of the country are the result of the UAE’s air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.

‘UAE Air Defences system are actively engaging with missiles and UAV threats.’

Taking questions from reporters, Marco Rubio said that the problems between Israel and Lebanon come from Hezbollah.

He said: ‘Here’s the challenge with Lebanon, okay, there’s no problem between the Lebanese government and the Israeli government… the problem with Israel and Lebanon is not Israel or Lebanon, it’s Hezbollah.

‘Hezbollah operates from inside of Lebanese territory. They terrorise and attack Israelis, but they also are inflicting tremendous damage on the Lebanese people.’

Rubio added: ‘This has been going on for a very long time. It’s not going to be easy. We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that both sides continue to talk, so that progress can be made on some sort of permanent ceasefire that isn’t constantly spoiled by Hezbollah.’

Rubio has denied that his upcoming trip to the Vatican is to heal the growing rift between Donald Trump and Pope Leo.

He said: ‘It’s a trip we had planned from before, and obviously we had some stuff that happened and no, look, there’s a lot to talk about with the Vatican.’

Earlier, Trump accused the Pope of endangering the lives of Catholics by refusing to back his war with Iran.

Rubio has warned Tehran not to ‘test the will’ of the US, claiming that Iran risks isolation, economic collapse and ‘total defeat.’

He said: ‘They really shouldn’t test the will of the United States, at least not under President Donald Trump.

‘The alternative is growing isolation, economic collapse and ultimately, total defeat.’

Rubio has said that the aim for the US’ actions in the Middle East is ‘for these straits to be opened to the way they’re supposed to be open, back to the way it was.

‘Anyone can use it. No mines in the water, nobody paying tolls. That’s what we have to get back to, and that’s the goal here.’

Asked whether Iran has indicated whether it is willing to give up its nuclear weapons programme, Rubio said: ‘This is a long-standing problem for them. They have always said they don’t want a nuclear weapon, they just don’t mean it.’

He added: ‘They’ve always had secret components of their nuclear programme undisclosed to the world, and we know for a fact that they retain highly enriched uranium at 60%.

‘They have an opportunity here to agree to something that will make it clear that they are not interested.

‘One thing is to say we don’t want a nuclear weapon, another thing is to prove you don’t want a nuclear weapon.’

Rubio has claimed that as part of Operation Economic Fury, the US’ attempt to target Iran’s coffers, the blockade of Iranian ports is costing Tehran $500million in lost revenue a day.

He added: ‘90% of total Iranian trade has been halted, causing permanent damage to Iran’s oil infrastructure. All of this is in response to their piracy.’

Marco Rubio has claimed Project Freedom is a ‘defensive operation.’

He added: ‘What that means is very simple. There’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first, we’re not attacking them, but if they are attacking us, you need to respond to that.’

The secretary of state said the US won’t let ‘some fast boat come up on a ship and shoot it up. We’re going to respond and we’ve been been successful at it.’

Speaking at the White House, US secretary of state Marco Rubio says the goal of Project Freedom is to ‘rescue almost 23,000 civilians from 87 different countries that are trapped in the Gulf and left for dead by the Iranian regime.’

He added that 10 sailors have died in the Gulf so far, and described the others as being ‘held hostage’ by Iran.

Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran, has accused the US of taking an ‘impossible’ approach to peace negotiations.

In comments carried by the state news agency IRNA, he said: ‘Our problem is that on the one hand, America is pursuing a policy of maximum pressure against our country and on the other hand, it expects Iran to come to the negotiating table and submit to their unilateral demands. Such an equation is impossible.’