Vacate your ports, docks – Iran sends message to UAE, vows to escalate war
World News Vacate your ports, docks – Iran sends message to UAE, vows to escalate war Published on March 15, 2026 By John Owen Nwachukwu googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1500386953281-8'); }); Iran has issued a warning of potential escalation in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East by threatening to target any facilities associated with the United States in the region. Iran has stated that its neighboring countries must demonstrate their support for the US-Israel military actions by expelling American diplomats from their territories. This statement follows US President Donald Trump’s prediction on Saturday that numerous nations would dispatch warships to assist in a US initiative to forcibly reopen the Strait of Hormuz. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1524595905268-5'); }); The Strait is a vital maritime route that has been effectively closed to nearly all shipping traffic by Tehran since the onset of the conflict. In response to the US-Israeli joint military campaign, which is now in its third week, Iran has conducted daily assaults on oil and other critical infrastructure throughout the Gulf region, as well as attacks against Israel. On Saturday, both sides continued hostilities, with Iran launching missile strikes at Israel and a series of ballistic missiles aimed at the United Arab Emirates. Reports from industry and trade sources indicated that some oil-loading operations have been halted in the UAE’s Fujairah emirate, a key global ship refueling center. An Iranian military spokesperson urged residents in the UAE to vacate ports, docks, and “American hideouts,” claiming that US forces had targeted Iranian islands from these locations, as reported by the Guardian UK. In the meantime, Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic advisor to the UAE president, asserted that the nation has the right to defend itself against “terrorist aggression.” “The UAE has the right to protect itself from this imposed terrorist aggression, yet it continues to prioritize reason and logic, exercising restraint and seeking a resolution for both Iran and the region,” he stated on X. On Friday, US aircraft bombed Iran’s primary oil export facility, Kharg Island, and continued to carry out successive attacks in Iran on Saturday. In a recent series of posts on social media, Trump remarked on Saturday via Truth Social that “many countries, particularly those impacted by Iran’s attempts to close the Hormuz Strait, will be sending warships in collaboration with the United States of America to keep the Strait open and safe.” He stated, “It is hoped that China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and other nations impacted by this artificial limitation will dispatch ships to the region.” Nevertheless, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the spokesperson for Iran’s joint military command, cautioned against assaults on “all oil, economic, and energy infrastructures owned by oil companies in the region that possess American shares or collaborate with the United States.” Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, urged on Saturday for neighboring countries to remove US forces from the Middle East. The US security presence in the region “has demonstrated numerous vulnerabilities and serves as an invitation rather than a deterrent to conflict,” the senior diplomat remarked on X, further stating that Iran has called upon its neighbors “to expel foreign aggressors.” Don't Miss Strait of Hormuz: US won’t do this one alone – Trump sends message to other countries You may like War: ‘I have been surprised’ – Trump opens up on Iran’s strategy France calls for immediate de-escalation of war in Lebanon Russia sends humanitarian aid to Iran amid escalating war Iran warns UAE over ‘US hideouts,’ says they could be targets after Kharg island strike Hamas urges Iran to avoid striking neighbouring countries War: U.S place $10m bounty on Iran Supreme Leader, others