Iran live updates: UAE says it's intercepting Iranian missiles and drones

Trump's "Project Freedom" also began amid attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Last updated: Monday, May 4, 2026 9:47PM GMT
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President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.

Following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire, initial U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan in April failed to reach a peace deal.

Trump later announced the open-ended extension of the ceasefire and the continuation of a U.S. blockade until negotiations are concluded "one way or the other."

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3 hours and 42 minutes ago

Trump says Iran attacks 'not heavy firing,' stops short of saying ceasefire was violated

President Donald Trump stopped short of saying the U.S.-Iran ceasefire has been violated, following reports of Iranian attacks on commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and on oil infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates.

"[It was] not heavy firing," Trump said in a phone call with ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl when asked if the ceasefire had been violated. "We'll let you know. Ships are moving. You know, we moved quite a few last night -- big ones. There was no firing. I guess there has been some recently. I'm looking into it."

President Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr. walk on the south lawn toward the White House in Washington, May 3, 2026.
President Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr. walk on the south lawn toward the White House in Washington, May 3, 2026.

Over the past several hours, Iran fired on a South Korean ship near the Strait of Hormuz and fired missiles and drones on the UAE. And, according to U.S. Central Command, U.S. forces fired on six Iranian fast boats and intercepted several Iranian missiles and drones.

Trump told ABC News that Iran "better hope [the ceasefire] remains in effect. The best thing that can happen to them is that we keep it in effect."

And what happens if the ceasefire is broken?

"I'll let you know, like I'll let everyone else know," he said. "We just heard about this, and we'll find out about it. What should happen is South Korea should get involved. It was a South Korean ship that got hit. And I would think, if you have a ship that's hit, you should immediately send some people."

Asked about the attacks on the UAE, Trump said the missiles and drones were "shot down for the most part."

"One got through. Not huge damage," he said.

On what this all means about the prospects for ending the war, Trump said, "We have it under control. One way or the other, we win. And you know why, Jon? I always win. You found that out a long time ago."

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7:43 PM GMT

6 Iranian boats eliminated during 'Project Freedom': CENTCOM

The U.S. took out six small Iranian boats that were "threatening commercial shipping" on Monday, Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, told reporters during an update on "Project Freedom."

Cooper said that over the past 12 hours, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been launching missiles, drones and small boats toward ships the U.S. was protecting in the Strait of Hormuz, and that the U.S. "defeated each and every one of those threats" through defensive munitions. AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and others were used to "eliminate" the boats, he said.

No U.S. military ships have been struck, Cooper said.

Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, flew over regional waters in and near the Strait of Hormuz in an AH-64 Apache helicopter, May 3, 2026.
Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, flew over regional waters in and near the Strait of Hormuz in an AH-64 Apache helicopter, May 3, 2026.
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7:43 PM GMT

UAE says it's intercepting Iranian missiles, drones

The United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Defense said it is "currently engaging" with air attacks from Iran, and that its air defense systems were intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.

This marks the first time the UAE, or any Gulf country, has come under significant attack by Iran since the ceasefire took hold in early April.

Multiple flights headed to the UAE are now diverting to Muscat, Oman, amid reports of drone and missile attacks, according to Flightradar24 data.

Amid the reports, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center also said a cargo ship was on fire off the coast of the UAE. The cause of the fire was not yet confirmed.

ByJoe Simonetti ABCNews logo
7:43 PM GMT

Iran will attack any US forces in Strait of Hormuz, commander says

Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, the commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said in a statement carried by state media on Monday that "any foreign armed force, especially the invading U.S. army, if they intend to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz, will be subjected to attack."

"We will maintain the security of the Strait of Hormuz with all our might and manage it powerfully," Abdollahi said. The commander said that "all commercial ships and tankers" should "refrain from any action to transit without coordination with the armed forces stationed in the Strait of Hormuz so that their security is not endangered."

The warning came after U.S. Central Command said it would on Monday begin the "Project Freedom" operation "to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz." President Donald Trump announced the mission on Sunday.