What Happened

A anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 2. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ caption

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. military leaders said Tuesday that a ceasefire with Iran remains in effect a day after Tehran was blamed for new attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and against the United Arab Emirates.

standoff in the Strait of Hormuz The fragile truce, reached nearly a month ago, appeared to be holding as U.S. forces pressed ahead with efforts to reopen the vital waterway for global energy. On Monday, the U.S. Iranian threatened commercial ships.

So far, only two merchant passed through a new U.S.-guarded route, with hundreds more bottled Persian Gulf. It's unclear whether continued U.S. military action will reassure shippers without reigniting the conflict U.S. and Israeli strikes . 28.

Why It Matters

The UAE, a key American ally, attack by Iranian missiles and drones for a second straight day on Tuesday. people were wounded in attacks the day before, and a drone sparked a fire at a key oil facility in the eastern emirate of Fujairah.

Iran's effective closure of the strait, through supplies passed before the war, along with fertilizer and other petroleum-derived products, prices skyrocketing and rattled the global economy. Breaking Iran's source of leverage as U.S. President Donald Trump demands a major rollback of its disputed nuclear program.

Economic effects ripple around U.S. effort violates the ceasefire U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the U.S. military's top officer, told a news conference Tuesday that Iran's renewed aggression hadn't reached the threshold called "major combat operations." He said Tuesday marked a "quieter" strait.

"No, the ceasefire ," Hegseth said, affirming Caine's assessment. They spoke before the latest attacks .

What Comes Next

Strait of Hormuz and its traditional shipping routes and northern routes opened to vessels unaffiliated with the U.S. or Israel. Phil Holm/AP hide caption

effort does violate the ceasefire. Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, accused the U.S. of undermining regional security. In a post on X, he signaled respond to the U.S. attempt to reopen the waterway.

Middle East conflict a price tag ($25 billion), " continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America; ," he said. His statement did not mention negotiations with the U.S. passing messages via Pakistan.

Disputing Washington's claim of sinking six boats, an Iranian military commander civilian Monday, killing five civilians, Iran's state TV reported.

Caine, the top U.S. general who serves as chairman Chiefs of Staff, 100 U.S. military aircraft are patrolling skies around the strait.

An Iranian demonstrator waves a -backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah -U.S. billboard, depicting the American aircrafts into the Iranian armed forces fishing : "The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed, The entire Persian hunting ground," during a pro-government gathering at Enqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution, square in Tehran, Iran, Monday. Vahid Salemi/AP hide caption

"Since the ceasefire was announced, commercial vessels seized two container ships, and they've attacked U.S. forces more than 10 times – threshold of restarting major combat operations ," Caine said.

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