Signal UAE Halts All Trade and Financial Transactions with Iran Amid Strait of Hormuz Tensions

Summary

On August 19, 2026, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that all trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran have been halted until further notice. Strategic Communications Director Afra Al Hameli cited regional escalations undermining peace and security as the reason, while stressing the UAE's continued commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the international financial system. The move follows a UAE Defence Ministry statement that it had detected two Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at maritime traffic, and comes after earlier UAE accusations that Iran attacked ADNOC-owned vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has not claimed. The announcement came shortly after a phone call between UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and US President Donald Trump. The halt applies broadly across trade, commercial exchange, and financial transactions with no stated timeline for review or reinstatement, and Iran has publicly pushed back, denying the missile claim.