The UAE is attacked as U.S. says it helped 2 ships through the Strait of Hormuz

The UAE is attacked as U.S. says it helped 2 ships through the Strait of Hormuz May 4, 202612:08 PM ET By  The Associated Press A patrol boat moves through the water as cargo ships sit at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP hide caption toggle caption Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. military said Monday that two American-flagged merchant ships had successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz after it launched a new initiative to restore traffic. The United Arab Emirates meanwhile issued three missile alerts and authorities said an Iranian drone hit an oil facility. State of the World from NPR Economic effects of the war in Iran ripple around the globe Iran has effectively controlled the strait since the U.S. and Israel launched the war in late February. Breaking Iran's chokehold would ease global economic concerns and deny Tehran a major source of leverage in talks aimed at ending the war. But U.S. President Donald Trump's latest effort also risks reigniting full-scale fighting as the U.S. and Iran steadily ramp up pressure. The United Arab Emirates issued its first three missile alerts since a ceasefire reached in early April and accused Iran of targeting an oil tanker. The eastern emirate of Fujairah said an Iranian drone sparked a fire at an oil facility, and a monitoring center operated by the British military said a cargo ship was ablaze off the UAE coast. Sponsor Message An explosion and fire meanwhile broke out aboard a South Korean-operated ship anchored in the strait, though its cause was unknown, the South Korean government said. In another sign of possible escalation, Iran claimed to have struck a U.S. Navy vessel near the strait. The U.S. denied the claim. Iran's effective closure of the strait, which runs between Iran and Oman, has caused a spike in worldwide fuel prices and rattled the global economy. The U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center is...