The United Arab Emirates has suspended all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran, cutting off one of Tehran's most significant remaining commercial and financial links to the outside world. The move came after the UAE accused Iran of firing ballistic missiles towards maritime traffic, and represents an economic blow that succeeds where years of US sanctions under President Donald Trump had struggled to fully close off Iran's access to trade routes and financial channels in the Gulf.

The suspension deepens Iran's economic isolation at a time of already heightened tension, with Trump also reinstating a naval blockade on Iranian ports after reversing an earlier proposal for a 20% toll. The developments come amid rising geopolitical friction between Washington, Tehran and Gulf states, with Trump stressing the importance of regional partners contributing to security in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor for global oil shipments.