Iran fired 15 missiles at the UAE, and the U.S. military sank 6 speedboats: first fighting after the Hormuz 4/8 ceasefire

Iran on May 4 launched 15 missiles and 4 drones at the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Immediately afterward, the U.S. Navy sunk 6 Iranian speedboats in the Strait of Hormuz. It was the first time there was direct armed clash between the two sides since the Iran–U.S. ceasefire on April 8. CNBC reported that the UAE’s air defense system intercepted all incoming munitions, a Fujairah oil and gas facility caught fire, and Iran simultaneously targeted an oil tanker linked to the UAE’s National Oil Company, as well as a South Korean merchant vessel—the latter’s engine room caught fire. This clash occurred one day after May 3, when Trump announced “Project Freedom”—with U.S. military escort ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. military uses Apache and SH-60 helicopters, sinks 6 Iranian speedboats

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Admiral Brad Cooper told the media that Iran that day deployed cruise missiles, drones, and small speedboats to attack U.S. commercial and military vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. used Apache attack helicopters and SH-60 Seahawk helicopters, sinking 6 small boats and intercepting the incoming drones. Cooper claimed, “Every threat was neutralized.”

Iran’s official news agency IRNA denied this claim and insisted that none of Iran’s “speedboats” was destroyed. The two sides publicly contradict each other on the facts, which is a defining feature of this confrontation—both sides are fighting for control of the narrative over who effectively controls the Strait of Hormuz.

UAE intercepts 15 missiles and 4 drones, Fujairah oil facility catches fire

A UAE government statement said that on May 4 Iran launched 15 missiles and 4 drones at the UAE mainland, and the air defense system intercepted all of them. However, in the Fujairah area, an oil and gas facility still caught fire during the attack, and the cause remains under investigation (whether drone debris landed on-site or interception munitions caused collateral damage is possible).

In addition to the attacks on the mainland, Iran’s maritime targets included: an oil tanker affiliated with shipping operations linked to the UAE National Oil Company, which was hit by 2 drones; and a South Korean-flagged merchant ship, whose engine room caught fire after being attacked. Both vessels were not sunk, but they dealt a direct blow to market confidence about whether neutral-flag merchant ships are safe in the Strait of Hormuz.

Ceasefire deal breaks down on April 8: Iran says “Project Freedom” violates the ceasefire agreement

The Iran–U.S. conflict began on February 28. After a ceasefire was reached on April 8, both sides maintained a surface-level calm, but shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was effectively disrupted. On May 3, Trump announced “Project Freedom,” with U.S. military vessels directly escorting ships through the strait. Iran immediately criticized the move as violating the ceasefire agreement and warned the U.S. not to try to “force open” the strait. The May 4 fighting marked the first direct attack by Iran against the UAE after the ceasefire, making whether the ceasefire agreement can be maintained a key focus.

During past Iran–U.S. clashes, Iran had attacked UAE and other U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf with missiles and drones—on a much larger scale than this time. The scale of this attack was relatively limited (15 missiles, 4 drones), which may represent Iran’s “test-like escalation”—measuring the U.S. response first, then deciding whether to expand.

What to watch next: oil supply, the ceasefire agreement, and OPEC+ responses

The incident directly impacted global oil markets. On May 4, WTI crude prices jumped higher during intraday trading. Before that, U.S. retail gasoline prices had already risen to $4.46 per gallon. OPEC+ held its first meeting without the UAE only on May 3 and decided to increase production in June by 188k barrels per day. The scale was relatively moderate, and the conflict may force members such as Saudi Arabia to consider further increasing the production level.

Key areas to monitor in the next phase are: (1) whether Iran escalates further by the end of May, especially against direct attacks on U.S. forces; (2) how the UAE and Saudi Arabia respond—whether diplomatic condemnation would escalate into military countermeasures; and (3) the specific future of the ceasefire agreement, and whether the Trump administration is willing to continue advancing the “Freedom” escort plan. If this round of direct clashes spreads, the geopolitical risk premium will be re-priced into commodities and global stock markets.

This article, “Iran fires 15 missiles at the UAE and the U.S. sinks 6 speedboats: first clash after the 4/8 ceasefire in the Strait of Hormuz,” was first reported by Chain News ABMedia.