Donald Trump characterized the current ceasefire in the Iran conflict as 'massively kept alive' and claimed that the chances for a successful continuation are only 1 percent. He made these remarks during an interview where he emphasized the weakness of the ceasefire.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has conducted military attacks on Iran, making the Gulf monarchy an active player in a conflict where it was previously the main target of Iran. These attacks, which the UAE has not publicly acknowledged, included a strike on a refinery on Iran's Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf.
The UAE's attacks coincided with Trump's announcement of a ceasefire following a five-week air campaign and resulted in a major fire that impaired the refinery's capacity for months. Iran responded to these attacks with a series of missile and drone strikes against the UAE and Kuwait.
"It is significant that a Gulf Arab country is acting as a belligerent and directly attacking Iran," stated Dina Esfandiary, a Middle East analyst and author of a book on the rise of the UAE. She added that Tehran will now seek to deepen the rift between the UAE and other Gulf states that are trying to end the war.
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, called for a 'real ceasefire' while Israel continues its relentless actions against Lebanon.
